First Light
by Minipa
Summary: What do you call a bunch of gods coming together to create the greatest tantrum of all time? Well, Benjin's going to go through hell just to find out. Why do demons hate him, what is everything, and why is it so damned challenging just to read in peace! Prologue story, OC-Centric, Canon Divergent, Canon Expansion, Book 1/5.
1. CH1 - Dawn and Dusk

**Chapter 1 - Dawn and Dusk**

 **Book 1: Prologue**

 **Book 2: Pre-Canon Fairy Tail**

 **Book 3: Canon Fairy Tail to Pre-Seven Year time skip**

 **Book 4: After time skip to Final Arc**

 **Book 5: Final war**

 **Rewritten as of: May 4, 2019**

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 **IMPORTANT NOTE: MAKE SURE TO READ AT 1/2 SETTING FOR BEST PARAGRAPH SETTING.**

* * *

 **Somewhere in the country of Stella - Year X767**

Amidst a setting sun, two men sat beside each other; one blonde and one whose hair went grey with age. Both wore loose fitting robes, all while enjoying their own drink as a three-year-old boy played before them.

The taller man, dressed in loose-fitting robes, glanced to the other with a sly smirk. "You planning on living here Makarov?"

The elderly mage in question took a large swig of his drink, wiping off the remains from his lips with his sleeve before erupting into drunken laughter. "Hah Seijin! The guild can't last a single day without me there!" His face was visibly red, and his eyes were barely open. "I think I'll head out, as soon as I recover from this hangover!"

Seijin chuckled in response. "Can't keep everyone in line without me there, can you… brat?"

"Hey, don't call me brat! I'm seventy-one years old!" Makarov waved his stubby arms around comically in mock offense.

Taking a sip of his own drink, Seijin replied amidst a hearty laugh, "Still young, hah!" As he stopped, the blonde blinked slowly and stared into the distance. A couple minutes passed in silence before Seijin turned to his friend with a warm smile, "Makky… how would you like to be my kid's godfather? He can stand to learn a lot from you in the future."

Makarov spat out some of the drink he had been enjoying, turning towards Seijin with widened eyes. "Wait~ w-what? I'm not exactly a good role model for a child yyou know." The slur in his speech was more than apparent.

"Well, my first thought was Gildarts." Seijin began while he and Makarov stared at each other in silence.

"...Gildarts?" Makarov repeated as he began thinking of said man.

 _An auburn-haired man stumbled violently around the dirt path over a forest. He was singing a disgruntled song about 'wenches' and 'happiness'; all the while taking constant chugs of the massive mug filled with ale. He bumped into a large rocky cliff, causing him to fall on his butt with a large red mark on his face._

 _"Why you little...You want some of this?" he challenged as a gigantic white aura exploded from his form, destroying much of the surrounding landscapes. "Well, if you're not coming to me, then I'm coming to you!"_

 _This 'incident' would forever be known as the 'Gildarts party', for the famous Magnolia mountain would no longer exist._

"..."

As if on cue, both of them burst into laughter, wiping the tears with their fingers. "Okay, okay!" Makarov coughed and began hitting his chest with a fist, holding his stomach to calm himself. "I'll be the godfather; I'd hate for Gildarts to corrupt such a young child with his weeknight 'adventures.'" Seijin himself snorted from the memory of being told of those particular… _adventures._

Of course, Gildarts was a very loyal member of the guild; him and Seijin became great friends after meeting each other. However, anyone would agree that the irresponsible drunk would NOT be a good father figure… more like a somewhat-fun drunk uncle. _Good times, good times._

"Thanks, Brat," Seijin gave a taunting smile, causing a tic mark to appear on the guild master. Chuckling at the man, Seijin put down his drink on a nearby stool.

"Perhaps when Benjin is older, I'll bring him and Rosalia to visit. I'm sure he'll have the time of his life there." Makarov smiled at his words.

"I look forward to it… old man," he spoke as he got up from the stool he sat on and went back inside the house, followed by Seijin.

* * *

 **Three years later - Forests of Stella**

"Auuugghh, Daaaaaad, why are there so many trees?" a boy whined to his father, he had a cluster of messy light-blonde hair that extended down to the collar of his ill-fitting priest-like clothing while a basket hung from his shoulders.

"Because Benjin, the nation of Stella is said to be the home of Kemekemo, the nature god," Seijin, who wore similar clothing fitted to his frame, lifted a hand while gesturing towards the fruit trees around the area, "Kemokemo blessed this forest with trees that bore fruit even in the toughest of times," he pointed towards a red-leafed tree that grew apples reflecting the wandering sunlight. "This means we will never go hungry as long as we stay here."

With an uncaring face, Benjin continued to stomp in front of his father. "I still don't like trees… I like the lake or the grass fields better! You can see more!"

Seijin looked at his son, bearing a calm and caring smile. "Whether or not you like the trees, they will remain, just like the grass fields or the lake, we must learn to appreciate the beauty of all creation," Seijin gestured to the environment around them, all while looking towards the cloudless sky.

Benjin raced in front of his father while flaring his arms in a comical manner. "What does that even mean? Why do you always have to make everything so confusing? Why can't we get fruit somewhere else… like a market?!"

"Don't think about it too much, you will understand when you're older," Seijin chuckled, patting his son on the head.

Benjin looked down momentarily, before abruptly snapping his head up with a glare. "Well you're stupid!"

Shocked from his comment, the father growled as a massive vein bulged from his forehead, "why you little..." Seijin began chasing his son around the area while both sides started laughing and waving their arms around. The two ran around in circles before finally falling onto their backs among the grassy terrain

 _I wish I could enjoy this peace forever…_ He began to reminisce his younger and more chaotic years, bringing a frown to his face. _I wonder, if there are those that still remember what we've done to this land…_

Snapping out of his thoughts, he glanced at Benjin before staring at the clear skies through the trees.

 _The war is a thing of the ancient past, I can only be glad that things turned out the way it did._ The afternoon sun shined upon his face through the gaps between the leaves, invigorating him.

Closing his eyes, Seijin blanked out all the sounds and smells that hovered around, allowing him to sense his son's aura beside him while his wife's resided three miles to the east. Despite the calming atmosphere in the forests, Seijin could sense small specks of energy, one that any other man would have missed, were corrupted.

 _Is this the cost of my absence?_ The bearded man frowned. _Was this -_ he gazed at his resting son - _something I truly could have had? Was it a mistake coming down here?_ The elder blonde furrowed his brows. No. _I have regretted many things in the past, but this was not one of them._ With one final glance, one carrying a tinge of concern, Seijin decided.

 _I don't know how long this'll last… I have to teach him how to protect himself._ The elder blonde's eyes drooped, all while the sun continued to shine without a care.

 _It's time Benjin learned magic._

* * *

 **Two Years Later**

 _I wonder…_

A blonde boy, no older than eight, wandered by himself in the forests he went through dozens of times. What could he do with his magic? Benjin smiled. _My dad told me I could make awesome stuff with it!_ Oh! It was also supposed to be easier when in contact with direct sunlight!

But really, what _could_ he make? Apparently, as long as he can imagine it, he could make it!

 _Let's make a cake!_

Benjin did his best to focus, his face contorting in exertion as a small golden aura enveloped the boy's hands. _Yes, yes, yes!_ A triangular object, translucent in nature, came into being; it was preceded by a miniature magic circle, yellow in colour. _I bet this will taste delicious!_

Within an instant, the boy shoved the entire creation into his face, only to scrunch up in pain as the 'cake' was very much… _solid._

"Augh crap!" The blonde clasped his hands over his mouth, quickly glancing around the area for his father. _I said a bad word!_ Benjin was now more aware of the stinging sensation from his nose, as well as the flowing liquid slowly running down his lip. _Owww…_ Tears began to form in his eyes; it would only be seconds until he began loudly sniffling, eventually fully _crying. Noooooo, dad will find out!_

The boy quickly ran into a bush, all while taking out a small handkerchief from a rippling portal. _Mom's magic sure is handy!_ Covering his nose, the blonde widened his eyes in fear as he heard his father's footsteps coming into where he was.

 _He's coming!_

In mere moments, the boy felt a hand grab him on his collar, lifting out of his bush. _Noooooooooooo!_

"What are you doing in the bush… are you crying?" The elder blonde morphed from surprise to concern; he set his son on the ground, before squatting down to meet his height.

Benjin quickly wiped the rest of his tears with a sleeve, before dropping his handkerchief. "Um… *sniff* Noooo?" Benjin's father chuckled, before placing a finger on his nose. _What's he doing?_ A faint golden glow engulfed the area, before Benjin felt the stinging pain dull, eventually disappearing altogether. _My nose! It's okay now!_

The boy felt a hand stroking his hair, before his father stood up. "So," Seijin's arms crossed at his chest, an amused smirk crawling up his visage, "how did you hurt yourself _this_ time?"

Benjin looked down in shame, his eyes darting to the side. "…I made a cake with magic."

His father raised a brow, "…Go on?"

"T-then…" The boy bit into his lip, as if forcing out a great secret, "then I tried to eat it and I whacked myself in the face!" His father froze for a moment, before bursting out in laughter, his booming voice echoing around their area.

"HA! You tried to _eat,_ your creation? HAHAHAHA!" Benjin snapped his fists downwards, narrowing his eyes.

"It's- it's not funny!" Seijin could only laugh harder.

Eventually, the amused father calmed down, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Benjin." Seijin allowed a warm smile on his face, catching the attention of his son. "You know… a friend once told me that magic is not a miracle…" The father thought of a certain man he met years back, "it's a power born when our spirit flows together with nature, forming an embodiment from the soul." Benjin looked as his father intently. "To constantly improve and find your own path, that is the way!" Seijin gave his son a confident grin, before patting his head. "You may have gotten hurt, but you are now better because of it…"

 _So cool!_

"Thanks dad!" The two exchanged a hug, the sounds of nature bringing comfort through their silence.

"…Tell your mother I scolded you."

"okay!"

* * *

 **Three Years Later - Forests of Stella**

Benjin sat within a lotus position on top of a rock, his back facing a waterfall under the night sky. His eyes were closed, hands clasped together by the palms while he controlled his breaths. Despite his concentration in the task at hand, he could still faintly sense the presence of his father watching him from nearby.

 _Peace of mind, and tranquility of spirit._ Words of his father from long past, echoed in his head. The sounds of rushing water and the orchestra of nature filled his senses as he sat perfectly still. An energy, one that was once dormant, came forth from within, surrounding the boy in a rippling golden aura.

 _Focus the image and bring form from energy._ The aura rippled towards his arms, engulfing his hands up to his wrists. The light left his body and converged into a translucent golden sphere in front of him. A ball whose magnificence was further enhanced by the reflection of its surroundings gently hovered in the air. It slowly descended onto the surface of the river, slowly dissipating, bringing forth an ethereal glow to the waters below.

Seijin lifted his arms up in celebration. "Finally," the voice of his father traveled through the clearing. "Benjin, took you long enough!" A relieved smile was worn on his bearded face.

"Thanks dad." Despite being calm on the outside, Benjin was barely able to suppress his excitement from hearing those words from his father. Many times, his dad would teach him to be 'cool' - _whatever that is_ -, despite acting weird occasionally. Even though it was boring to say the least; he wanted to make him proud, so he gave his all in the teachings whether it was practical or theoretical.

Smiling lightly, the man's expression softened into a small smile; he went to pat the head of his son, something he had always done.

"Benjin, you have come so far since we first started." He knelt to look Benjin in the eye, a proud smile on his face. "I'm very much looking forward to the day you succeed in whatever you do."

A near unnoticeable blush crept up on the boy's face; he faced his father with a smile of his own. Despite all his quirks and eccentricities, Benjin could see no man greater than he. "Thanks, dad." he said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Let's return home, it's getting late, I'm sure your mother is expecting us soon." Seijin looked towards the distance as he stood back up and motioned for his son to follow him.

"Okay!" he said as he caught up to his father.

As the father and son duo made their way back, Seijin tuned out the surrounding sounds and focused on his senses. Once again, he felt the auras of his son, wife, and the creatures of the forest. He felt the same tainted energy he did five years ago, though the amount had increased greatly. Glancing at the strongest collection of said energy, he saw a blanket of auras nearly invisible to his vision.

 _That aura..._ he widened his eyes ... _is moving!_ The man picked up his pace, Benjin following close behind.

* * *

 **Solarus Residence**

"He must be tired, going straight to sleep like that." Rosalia whispered as her long red-hair flowed from the wind through the open window.

"Yes..."

Rosalia slowly walked towards her husband with a worried expression. "Is there something wrong?" She had a hunch of what he was looking for and just the mere _thought_ of it shook her to the core.

"They're coming. I feel their auras drawing near," her husband was distraught, that much was certain. The scarlet-haired woman always feared that this day would come, she simply wished that they had far more time together.

"Is it… _him_?" Rosalia could feel her trembling; even though she had never _him_ , she had heard from Seijin about the destruction and cruelty he was capable of, and the willingness to act upon it.

He closed his eyes, pausing for the slightest of moments before shaking his head. "No… his followers, lots of them." Seijin tightened his fists, quickly turning towards her with an anxious expression. "Listen Rosalia, you HAVE to take Benjin, and get as far away from here as you can."

"No!" Her eyes glistened at what was coming, despair all too obvious on her face. "This is not real! This-s isn't r-real," her voice shook, the truth settled further and further down her stomach as she gazed back at Seijin, his figure clear as glass. Every fiber of her being desired to deny her reality, wanting it to be a dream.

"I-I don't want-t to lose you," her voice was barely more than a choke, tears cascading down her cheeks, meekly reflecting the moonlight shining through the window.

 _Dammit! I don't want to lose you either!_ He _had_ to stay strong, for _them_. "Rosalia…" He held his wife's shoulders tight, his fingers trembling _. I… never want to let go._ "We both know that you cannot fight in your condition… so p-please." His face contorted as the strength he mustered slowly melted away. "You _have_ to escape, with our son… _please_."

Why did this day have to come? _WHY!_

He _knew_ he would be found out one day… but why _now?_ Why couldn't he feel this love for longer? Even just one, _more_ , day…

Tears freely streamed from Rosalia's eyes, her face reddening as her husband became blurry in her vision. "Please Seijin..." Fear and despair rose from her stomach, her voice barely more than a whisper. "You don't have to do this!" Desperation etched through her scream, her hands creasing Seijin's robe from the force.

Seijin could not help but grit his teeth as his strength continued to waver. _Damn it Rose… you're making this so much harder than it must be!_

"I HAVE TO!"

The outburst startled his wife; Seijin _never_ raised his voice, especially not with her. "B-but what about Benjin? What will he do _without_ you?" The desperation laced itself onto her visage, the brown eyes once filled with happiness, now held anger and despair. "Why can't you come with us!"

"I'm sorry…" Seijin turned away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "But I must stay… because now that they finally found me, they will chase me to the ends of the world." The uncertainty in his face and eyes full of doubt was uncharacteristic for someone like him _. If I fall here, I won't let you take them… Nemesis!_ Abruptly, his head snapped back towards Rosalia, having made his decision.

"No matter what…" The blonde latched himself onto his wife. "I will not allow them to get past me." Rosalia could feel her husband's arms around her as she cried into his chest. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Seijin move his hand onto Benjin's shoulder, a small light briefly flashing for a second, before extinguishing. _Maybe with this, we'll find each other once more._

"Rosalia..." Seijin took her hand and placed it over his heart. Their eyes met, his own filled with love, covering the despair he felt within himself. The next seconds felt like an eternity as Seijin took a deep and silent breath.

"From the moment we met," Seijin remembered she found him, helpless and lost.

"To the birth of our child," seeing her smile on that day was something he will treasure forever.

"To the days I spent laughing together with the two of you," Benjin, his son, his precious son.

He caressed her face with his free hand, "Our time together have been a gift I would always treasure, and until the end of time, you will remain in my heart." he pulled her closer to him, kissing her forehead with all the affection he held for this woman, the one who made his life the happiest it could be.

* * *

Rosalia wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and live forever in a dream, but she had to be strong. The tears cascaded down her cheeks despite her efforts to hold them in. She quickly ran up the stairs to Benjin's room, opening the door and watching his sleeping form. A smile, one that tore through her despair. _Even not… you're still so innocent, I never want that to fade._

The worried mother crouched beside her son's bed, caressing him in the cheek. "Benjin, wake up sweetie," her voice strained as she fought to keep her own emotions at bay.

His eyes stirred open, revealing the same yellow eyes shared by her husband. "Huh? W-what?"

She hurriedly grabbed the pendant hidden within a nearby drawer and put it into her shirt. "Benjin, I have no time to explain. We _have_ to leave." Rosalia lifted her son's covers, quickly pulling him towards her. Groggily, the boy got out of bed, following his mom down the stairs.

As they reached the bottom, Seijin stood still, his eyes focused in the distance outside. "What about dad?" A look of confusion came through despite the fatigue. "Is-isn't he coming?"

"Your father can take care of himself. Please, we have to go!" She grabbed Benjin's hand, putting on a cloak on both of them. Benjin quickly snapped his hand away from his mom, running towards his father while shouting.

"NO! I don't want to leave my dad!" Rosalia could only look at her son with distress as she felt her heart waver. Her son wrapped his arms around his father, who turned to face him. Seijin bent down, causing Benjin to release his hold in the process.

"My son," _I'm sorry… this is goodbye._ "I know it must be hard for you. To be told to leave in the middle of the night like this." Benjin's eyes began watering as his hands and feet trembled, his movements stiff and body unresponsive. _He was always too smart for his own good._

"I wish I could tell you all the things I wanted to… but I'm truly sorry I won't get that chance." Slowly lifting his hand, he placed his palm on the chest of his son. "Remember my son, even if I cannot stand with you, I will always be around." His parting words only worked to increase his son's desire to stay.

 _One day… I hope you will forgive me._ A light glow covered Seijin's hands, his lips stretching to show his son a smile. "Benjin… if you ever feel lonely or backed into a corner. Remember," With one last glow, he lifted his palm off the boy's chest, "the light shall _always_ be on your side."

Benjin's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, before finally closing. "Fa-ther, d-don't… _leave me._ " Seijin trembled; his breaths becoming rapid and shallow. _Why is this so DAMNED HARD?!_

"T-this is for the best," The lie she told herself barely got out as she carried Benjin on her back, quickly leaving the house. She knew that if she stayed any longer, she would no longer have the strength to leave. With all the strength her weakened body could muster, she ran as fast as she could towards the Western Mountains. One last time, she saw her husband. One last time, she'll hear his voice. One last time, until they part.

 _This is the end, I'm truly sorry… for everything._ Seijin grimaced, shutting his eyes to force back the tears. "Rosalia… no matter where you are in the world. I want you to know that I love you more than all of creation."

"Benjin, even if you can't see me, even if you don't understand. I truly believe that when you awaken, you will be able to accomplish what I couldn't." His voice grew softer as she ran further. "I'm truly sorry, that I could not stay with you. All I can ask is for the two of you to survive." A lone tear emerged from his closed eyes, mirroring the glowing stars above as if heaven itself watched.

"LIVE!" his anguished voice echoed through the forest as Rosalia ran with her son.

 _Please._

* * *

Despite his son and wife having left just for a few minutes; to Seijin, it felt as if the wait was an eternity.

 _They're here._

Seijin concluded from the multiple dark auras make their way towards his home. He was not confident he could win against all of them, especially when he lost so much power over the years. However, he could not afford to falter. Even if it was for a second, he had to give them time. Enough to allow his family to escape.

But what if he failed? Everything he had done in the past would be for _naught_! His legacy, his son, his wife… There was no going back, he could only wait. Doubt began entering his mind as the consequences of defeat became known to him all too clearly.

 _Even if victory is uncertain, I will fight._ Seijin cleared his mind of worries and steeled himself once more, ready for the inevitable death that will come to him this day.

 _Come._

* * *

Seijin stood defiantly in front of his house, facing the cause of chaos that interrupted their otherwise peaceful life _. All of them, death or life, I will win._ He studied the group of cloaked figures before resting his eyes on what appeared to be the leader of the group. The figure stepped forward, pulling down the hood of their cloak to reveal head of black hair draping down to her waist.

"Look at what we have here," the woman spoke with a purr, a mischievous tone etched into her voice; she put one hand on her waist and popped her hips. "The lord himself, living in such a rundown little shack… as a _mortal_ no less!" She licked her lips and giggled. "It must be my lucky day!"

Seijin's eyes widened, his fists clenching as he hissed through his gritted teeth. "How did you find out where I was and who I am?" _Was._ Despite the weaker auras of the cloaked figures that surrounded her, the woman that stood in front of him was not someone to be taken lightly.

The woman let loose a wild cackle. "Did you really think that we wouldn't find out about your disappearance?" The woman began as she drew a pitch-black blade with a blood-red handle, further accented by the demonic red glow that radiated from the weapon. "It was um… _REALLY_ hard to find you, ya know?" The act, like an unspoken signal, caused all the dark mages around her to prepare their own weapons and stances.

Seijin was not going to play any games, he knew why the woman was here. Pray. That was what he wanted to do. Every fiber of his being wanted to ask the heavens for aid, but he knew his calls would go silent. "I hope that you understand that I won't be surrendering." With that statement, he shifted into a fighting stance, palms open and faced towards his opponents.

"I wouldn't have let you surrender anyway… hotness." She sensually caressed her blade with her tongue, giving Seijin a lustful, half-lidded gaze. _Crazy bitch!_

"Maybe I should have some fun with you..." Her words rolled off her tongue. "Before I… drain you of your life force." The woman proceeded to pull her cloak off of her body, revealing a skin-tight leather outfit showing her stomach and collarbones for the world to see. Thigh-high leather boots trailed up her legs while a myriad of weapons hung from the belt she wore around her waist.

The mark of insanity filled every inch of her body. "I've always wanted to know what made a god… different from a human."

Seijin prepared himself, he intended to strike hard and strike fast _. I'll have to take care of the support first before I can focus on her._ "If you want to find out so badly… then I will show you" A golden aura exploded from his form, illuminating the surrounding forest.

"Ethereal Guardian! **[1]** " The aura raised even further, giving his eyes an ethereal glow.

A golden magic circle of titanic proportions appeared above where he stood, causing rays of light to gravitate towards him, taking the shape of a golden knight that towered above the forest. It emitted an all-encompassing glow that was stilled by the shape of the spell. An intense brightness that could have easily blinded any other man was somehow held back within. _I shan't give them mercy, not this time._

"Prepare yourselves." Seijin lifted his hands, his spell mimicking his actions.

The woman wiped away her sweat and addressed her men. "Do not fear! Focus your attacks on him!" she shouted while swinging her sword towards Seijin, emphasizing her command. The minions seemed to snap out of their daze as they all began readying their spells, with magic circles forming all around them.

"Yes Lady Raynare! **[2]** "

"Dark Sword Barrage!" The weapons attached to her body levitated into the air, a grey aura forming around them. Within moments, they launched themselves in groups while the other mages fired magical blasts of various elements.

Seijin lifted his arms up while charging towards his enemy, each step shaking the grounds around him.

"IS THAT ALL THE STRENGTH YOU CAN MUSTER?!" The attacks of the dark mages hit true as he met their spells with his own construct. Clouds of smoke appeared on where it hit as cracks began to form on his construct. However, this did not stop Seijin's charge.

Several swords pierced into his body, causing him to tense in pain. Blood flew out of his mouth as he grunted in exasperation. Despite the pain, he gave a powerful swipe with the arms of his construct, sending a wave of translucent light towards his enemies. With just one attack, he was able to eliminate nearly a third of the opposing forces, all while injuring Raynare and the other survivors.

The remaining mages continued to cast spells, hoping to silence Seijin before he had another chance to attack. Raynare dropped in anger and surprise as blood stained her form. Decades as a mortal should have more than weakened him… Someone whose flow of divinity was no longer present should have went down _far_ easier. The _only_ way for him to have this much power is that he must have taught himself human magic in the years it took them to find him. Clenching her fists, she shouted desperately. "Don't let him attack again! Give him everything you've got…" A black magic circle came into existence.

"Shadow Spear!"

Seijin saw the incoming dark projectile coming at him; a large amount of focus was required to keep the Ethereal Guardian intact, but if he didn't cast a defensive spell the spear _will_ pierce.

"Holy Barrier! **[3]** " A rectangular prism formed in front of him as he angled it in an attempt to the make the spear ricochet. _FUCK!_ His efforts were nearly fruitless as the spear pierced his construct and passed through the other side… taking his right arm with him.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" The blood freely flowed from the black stump that used to be his arm. Darkness magic imbued in the spear was slowly burning his insides, cauterizing the wound. His gaze travelled towards his shoulder, inspecting his injury while his construct flashed in and out of existence. _Hmm… no blood, her mistake._

Raynare and her men began charging at the fallen god, Seijin's paladin disappearing, causing him to land roughly onto the ground. He looked forward, seeing twenty mages rushing at his bloodied figure, all intending to end his life.

"Show no mercy! Make sure there's nothing left of him!" shouted Raynare with a crazed look in her eyes. She wanted her target dead as quickly as possible; she had severely underestimated his power and that mistake caused great losses on her own forces.

Seijin could hear the rapid footsteps approaching his form. The pain on the right side of his body was daunting - _but not unbearable_ -, the sensation of being burned while the cold night air stabbed his exposed flesh proved enough of a distraction to prevent him from casting his guardian spell again.

 _I have to gamble everything on this…_ He faced his remaining palm at the charging mages. _One last strike_... Closing his eyes, he tried to focus despite the pain. The familiar aura formed around him, converging into a sphere that he gripped within his fingers.

"Solar Wave! **[4]** " Seijin shouted as the sphere expanded and launched a brilliant beam towards the charging mages, illuminating the surroundings.

Not expecting the attack, they could do nothing as the beam engulfed them completely. Screams of pain could be heard all around as the holy light burned them whole. Once the spell died down, it revealed the charred bodies of the mages on the ground. None of them so much as twitched as the scent of burnt flesh permeated the air.

 _Is it… over?_ Seijin lowered his arm, slumping forward as he fell on his knees.

"URRGGH," he grunted as he looked down to see a dagger covered in shadows protruding from his stomach. "How…" He was sure that she was engulfed in the blast. There was _no_ way someone her strength could have survived!

"You nearly killed me… _darling_ ," Raynare, covered with burns struggled to stand. Despite her teasing, it was easy to see that she was fatally injured from his spell; if she was hit directly by his beam, she would not have the chance to attack him.

Seijin could tell that Raynare had lost her reason, her eyes were nearly lifeless, the final bits of life corrupted with vengeance and loathing.

"Grrah!" He could only grunt in pain as he felt her knee the stump that was once his hand.

Gritting his teeth, Seijin did his best to turn, but to no avail. He could feel Raynare launch another attack at him, but the pain never came.

Silence met his ears as he felt his attacker slump towards his body. He could feel her sliding down his back, gently falling to the ground as the adrenaline that kept her standing dissipated.

 _Thump._

Soon, Seijin's pain began to numb; the sounds around him drowned out by a dull ringing, and the fatigue that has plagued his body replaced with an unfamiliar serenity. _I lost?_ Despite his injury, he had a smile on his face. Through the odds, he was able to strike down his attackers, _every single one_. Today, was the day he fell. He watched the stars twinkle in the skies above. _Is this what it's like… to be ignored?_ How arrogant was he to believe that he could truly be what the people needed him to be. To die alone, surrounded by enemies, with not a single soul to hear… _how fitting._

"My son… I'm s-sorry," Seijin spoke one last time, his body slowly fell towards the wet ground.

 **Elsewhere...**

"Dad…" A young boy that slept on the back of his mother murmured sleepily. His eyes opening for the briefest of moments to let a single tear fall towards the grass below.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 1 Done! Next Chapter: Life on the road**

 **[1]: I imagined this to be a European version of the Final Susanoo (not Perfect Susanoo).**

 **[2]: An OC import from Highschool DxD, search up Raynare and that's what she looks like.**

 **[3]: A glowing yellow version of Bakudo 81: Severing Void from bleach.**

 **[4]: Yellow Kamehameha.**

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	2. CH2 - A Changed World

**Chapter 2 - A Changed World**

 _Is it… over?_ Seijin lowered his arm, slumping forward as he fell on his knees.

"URRGGH," he grunted as he looked down to see a dagger covered in shadows protruding from his stomach. "How…" He was sure that she was engulfed in the blast. There was _no_ way someone her strength could have survived!

"You nearly killed me… _darling_ ," Raynare, covered with burns struggled to stand. Despite her teasing, it was easy to see that she was fatally injured from his spell; if she was hit directly by his beam, she would not have the chance to attack him.

Seijin could tell that Raynare had lost her reason, her eyes were nearly lifeless, the final bits of life corrupted with vengeance and loathing.

"Grrah!" He could only grunt in pain as he felt her knee the stump that was once his hand.

Gritting his teeth, Seijin did his best to turn, but to no avail. He could feel Raynare launch another attack at him, but the pain never came.

Silence met his ears as he felt his attacker slump towards his body. He could feel her sliding down his back, gently falling to the ground as the adrenaline that kept her standing dissipated.

 _Thump._

Soon, Seijin's pain began to numb; the sounds around him drowned out by a dull ringing, and the fatigue that has plagued his body replaced with an unfamiliar serenity. _I lost?_ Despite his injury, he had a smile on his face. Through the odds, he was able to strike down his attackers, _every single one_. Today, was the day he fell. He watched the stars twinkle in the skies above. _Is this what it's like… to be ignored?_ How arrogant was he to believe that he could truly be what the people needed him to be. To die alone, surrounded by enemies, with not a single soul to hear… _how fitting._

"My son… I'm s-sorry," Seijin spoke one last time, his body slowly fell towards the wet ground.

 **Elsewhere...**

"Dad…" A young boy that slept on the back of his mother murmured sleepily. His eyes opening for the briefest of moments to let a single tear fall towards the grass below.

* * *

 **Somewhere in Western Stella - Year X775**

 _When can I just plop on a bed…_

Benjin walked aimlessly on the dirt path with his mother - _for a month maybe? -_ his gaze stuck to the ground as a forlorn expression was frozen upon his face. In recent days, it had been so difficult _just_ to smile. _How does mom do it?_ It seemed that whenever he went to her: a scraped knee, when he was hungry, she would always have the same smile. _Even now, when dad le-_ *sniff*

Ever since his father left, it was as if everything lost its shine. What used to be colourful fruits and forests were more like a dull grey. _Why did it have to turn out like this?_ Would he have to live like this now? Benjin felt tears forcing itself to the surface. _Is nothing going to remain now? I wish… everything was still the way it was!_

"Look Benjin *cough*, a village!" His thoughts were interrupted by the ever-strained voice of his mother. _Is she going to be alright?_ Benjin's face scrunched up in concern. _If anything, at least we can finally have a roof over our heads, hopefully._

As they neared the village, a middle-aged woman walked out to greet them. She wore a simple dress with many stitches around the bottoms and sleeves while medium-length grey hair draped over her back.

"Hello, what brings you two here?" the woman asked with a forced smile. _She seems so… tense?_

Rosalia calmed herself and steadied her breathing; sweat visibly dripping down her face. "My son and I have been travelling for a month now. We are simply looking for somewhere to stay," Benjin could see the amount of effort she was exerting just to speak, causing him to hold her hand. The woman seemed, _how do I put this_ , off? It was like she was icky just with them being here. Benjin widened his eyes. _What if we get killed in our sleep!_ Wait no, that's stupid! The eleven-year-old shook his head, snapping thoughts that would make his father give him the… _oh right._ The boy looked down, a crestfallen expression on his face. _Dad wasn't here anymore._

The woman observed them for a few moments before sighing. "Follow me." The woman looked around the area, behind them, to the side, everywhere. _She doesn't seem that happy that we're here.._. It wasn't like they were planning to steal their stuff or something. _I mean, I'm pretty sure we can pay for it… still._

As they continued inside the rustic little settlement, Benjin noticed that the villagers were _not_ liking them _. They don't REALLY think we're going to steal stuff, do they?_ Benjin furrowed his brows in confusion _. Where was all the other kids?_ Everyone he saw were either old men or women.

 _Maybe they're just playing somewhere else?_ He didn't want to think that something bad had happened to them; _especially_ since something bad happened to _him_. A sinking feeling crawled up from his stomach. _I'm just being weird; everything is probably fine._

"I apologize for the rather cold welcome," the woman that greeted them faced the two with slumped shoulders and drooping eyes _. This place looks like a dump!_ "The past week has been painful for us; everyone is still trying to recover." The old woman gestured to a hut, one made of straw and the door looked like it wasn't even attached to the whole thing. "The house here hasn't been used for years… I suppose, it's all yours now." _I guess, it could be worse._ They could have been living in a cave or something where the only thing they could eat was _thousands_ of scorpions and they would _all_ be poisonous and-

"Benjin? Are you coming in sweetie?" The voice of his mother snapped him out of his… _less than savoury_ thoughts.

Now that he looked at it, the shack wasn't in _that_ bad of a condition. Other than the door, everything else looked like it wouldn't fall on them in the middle of night or mimic dominos that moment they walked it.

"Thanks lady!" Benjin chipped up, earning a soft smile from the woman.

* * *

The house had been simply furnished; there was a hay pile covered by rags in the corner, and an open topped fire pit to the side - _for cooking maybe? No pots though_. There were two wooden windows at the front and back of the house while two shelves were attached to the wall on the left, holding a row of horribly dusty items. Despite their magic to store objects in a separate space, they didn't have enough time to take everything they needed from their house when they left. _We have pots though._

"So, what do you think?" his mother asked in a weak voice. _I mean, it's better than a bush?_ Not sure what else he could say about this place.

Benjin looked towards his mom, who wobbled under her own weight. "It's livable?" Not much better than just sleeping outside really, but at least they have a roof. In his honest opinion, the shack was more like a big pile of garage stacked together. _Hopefully rain doesn't come through, PLEASE don't let it come through._ The only thing worse than really just about anything is having to sleep through a storm.

Rosalia stumbled towards the 'bed' and lied down. "Mommy's just going…" She took a slow breath, "to take a small break." Was his mom really going to be okay? In his memory, his mom was never the most outgoing, but she seemed so much worse than before _… Maybe it's just the month of walking, yeah that must be it._ But why does her aura seem so… black?

Benjin smiled. "Okay! I'm just going to go explore, okay?" The boy waited for his mom's permission but received only soft breaths as his reply. _She's asleep already?_ Oh well, he'll come back later.

Now that he paid attention, most of the houses were the same design as the one they stayed in. _Ah, so it's not that we got a bad house, the whole place is bad!_ Not that it's a good thing of course. As he walked through the village, he noticed some of the houses looked like they had seen better days; many had broken windows, some didn't even _have_ doors, and some looked like it caught on fire! _What happened here?_ For some reason, the state of the village made him think of his dad.

 _Now I'm sad…_

Kicking the ground slightly in frustration, he walked towards the edge of the village, ignoring the questioning stares.

* * *

Really, he thought it would be more exciting. _But Nooooo!_ Everything looked exactly the same; tree, trees, and more trees! Why couldn't there be a lake or something? _That's cool._ Suddenly, Benjin felt his stomach rumble.

 _Right… totally forgot lunch._ In the past month, he and his mom basically lived off the berry bushes and _maybe_ fish if he got lucky. They _would_ have taken more, but they were so rushed when leaving. God, he wished he knew how to cook. _Mom always did it for me._

Benjin lightened up, a slight smile on his face as he began skipping. _Well, no time like the present to learn!_

While in his absentminded search, Benjin realized that he skipped into the forest area with a large rock formation in the middle of the clearing. _Hey! There's someone on the rock!_ As he got closer, he saw that the person on the rock was a blue-haired boy that looked to be his age _. Hmm, how do I get up?_ The whole thing was rounded and vertical, and _maybe_ some platforms. _And the moss, can't forget the moss!_

His dad would probably laugh if he couldn't climb a friggin' rock! _Okay,_ he took a deep breath, _I can do this!_ The boy sprinted towards the formation, using the lessons about magic in the past to enhance himself. _Hey! This is pretty easy!_ Within seconds, he already made it halfway. Another jump here, another pull there. _I'm up!_

Did the boy not notice him? He was _pretty_ loud while coming up with all his grunting. What if this guy's deaf? _Okay I'm going to shout at him, that'll get his attention!_ Wait! Benjin widened his eyes in realization. This will be the _first_ time he actually talked to anyone that's not his mom or dad! _And the old woman maybe but she was boring anyway._ Ok how would he do this? Say hi and hope for the best?

 _Hmm, yep that sounds good!_

It was not like he would offend the boy just by talking to him. That would be pretty weird. _Anyways, here goes._

"Hi!" No response.

 _Maybe he really is deaf… should I throw a rock at him?_ Wait no, his dad once told him throwing rocks at people is bad! _Shouting it is!_

"HELLO!" The startled boy snapped towards him, his entire body spazzing, nearly losing his balance and falling off the rock.

"What the Hell!" The blue-haired boy glared at Benjin, obviously not happy. _Crap._

"So, uh… what you doing?" Okay so maybe he could have apologized first or something because he looks _pissed._ The boy clenched his fists while giving Benjin an icy stare, allowing him to see his face in detail. _What's the weird red tattoo on his face?_

"What am I doing?" He seethed, slowly walking towards Benjin, keeping his glare before jumping at the blonde _. Um, what's he doing_? "Getting ready to beat your face in that's what!"

 _Oh shit!_

Quickly bringing his hands up, Benjin did his best to stand against the tackle of the rag-wearing aggressor before he was slammed at his midsection _. What is this guy's friggin' problem?_ The two began to roll around the top of the rock, both being careful to not slip off while firing punch after punch at one another. The fight was getting rather heated up, hits became more and more savage as a dust cloud began building up around them.

Minutes after, the cloud dissipated to show the blue-haired boy slightly relaxing his features while looking back towards the forest in the South West. _Is he done?_

"Hi." He really just punched him in the face then just sat down? Benjin huffed, before shrugging his shoulders. _Well okay then._

Taking a seat beside his previous aggressor, Benjin turned towards him. "Well that was something." The other's gaze bore into the blonde's very soul for minutes; Benjin, being the stubborn boy he was, refused to retreat his gaze. _Why is he even like this?_ Finally, the blue-haired boy relaxed, a solemn expression on his face.

"Things weren't always like this you know," he turned backed towards the village, which was easily visible from this distance. "I was living with my family… and without warning, they came." They? _Actual robbers?_

Benjin raised his brown curiously, "They?"

The other boy remained in silence for another minute, the sounds of his teeth grinding more and more apparent as he began, "Dark Mages… they just came out of nowhere!" Anger etched into his voice. "Some of us fought back, but there _were_ too many." Benjin looked down at the boy's fists, seeing his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. _My lord, what actually happened to this kid?_

"They killed my family! ALL OF THEM!" _Oh._

A raw white-yellow aura beginning to emit from his body. "They took _all_ the kids they could find… including my friend." Traces of magic leaked out as small pebbles around him were pushed away.

* * *

 **Flashback Start**

Two boys were running down a forest trail, a smile on their faces and their hearts filled with excitement.

"Hey, look!" A red-haired boy spoke, his finger pointing towards a rather peculiar tree. The other boy grabbed his friend's blue-sleeved shirt and hauled himself up to get a better look.

 _That tree has a face!_

A wonderous smile crept up his tattooed face. "Wow! Where do you think it came from?"

Both boys were staring at the weirdly cute heart shaped face with excitement. "I don't know but it must be from someplace aweso-"

 ***Boom!***

"T-th-that… came from the village!"

The colour drained from their faces, replacing the joy once held by their youthful visage. _Please gods, don't let anything be wrong!_

…

Running as fast as their little legs could carry them, the two boys neared their village, only to be met by a horrific sight: houses were burnt down, and bodies littered the roads, unmoving.

"Wh-what is this…" The tattooed boy's eye widened, his body shook, and his breaths became rapid and uneven. Looking towards his friend slowly, he saw that he wasn't doing any better. There was no expression on his face; not a single hint of emotion, barely more than a statue.

Turning his head, he could only freeze with his mouth agape as he recognized a body, one surrounded by many others, all with identical masks and robes. But the one with middle _\- that's… -_ the one with a black trench coat and equally dark hair.

 _His friend's dad._

"HEY! Who's there!" _Oh crap!_

He was snapped out of his daze by the hostile voice. Immediately, his thoughts stopped and all he could think of was running.

 _"Shiron… we have to leave!"_ Seeing how his friend was unresponsive to his whispers, he took his hand and dragged him into his own home, only to be met with a _far_ more horrific sight.

Blood. _No._

Blood everywhere. _No, no, NO!_

His faces contorted and his eyes squeeze shut; there on the ground, lied the corpses that were once his family.

 _Why… WHY!_

The rage that boiled within him was replaced by an unfamiliar dysphoria. An emptiness unlike any other. Seeing his entire world falling apart in front of him was too much. Tears began waterfalling from his face as he felt a hand on his arm.

"They heard us." He widened his eyes, his hands squeezing his head, despair filling his mind.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The blue-haired boy asked, seeing his friend open a cellar door in the middle of the room. "It's too obvious, they will find us there!"

With a small determined smile, his friend climbed up the ladder. "Only if we both hide."

 _What!?_

"B-but what about you?! You don't know what they'll do to you!" _I won't let you do this!_

"L-listen-"

"No! You listen! Both of us are going to make it out of here alive!" The other boy gave a saddened stare, his eyes filled with determination and his jaws clenched in silence.

" _I'm sorry._ "

Without warning, he felt a hand push him, causing him to lose his balance, falling into the cellar. Looking up to his friend with shock, he saw that Shiron had a wide grin on his face. The two shared a silent goodbye as the cellar door closed, leaving him in darkness. _What?!_

Not knowing what to make of what happened, the boy curled into a ball, not a single soul to hear his silent cries, oblivious to the sound of flames that surrounded him.

 _Damn it… DAMN IT ALL!_

 **Flashback End**

* * *

Benjin looked away with his eyes drooped, thinking of his own circumstance. Whoever attacked their home took away _his_ father from him, and as much as he told himself they would be okay, deep down inside, he feared the worst. The blonde perked up, matching the direction in his gaze to the other boy.

"Your friend, what was he like?"

The blue-haired boy tensed, before relaxing. "We were like brothers; we went out to the forest every day, always finding new things and places to explore." Unwillingly, he stared towards a certain clearing to the side. "He was never really good at talking to anyone other than me, but he had his own way of showing his care."

After a brief moment of silence, Benjin looked up from the forest, his gaze travelling towards the skies.

"Do you know where he went?"

The boy held his silence for another minute, before finally continuing. "They called it the Tower of Heaven," He pointed to a distant village towards the North. "The Dark Mages have been in this area, kidnapping everyone as slaves, killing anyone who resists." _Wow, just… wow._

First his home, and now this boy's. They had been travelling for a month now. And now, he's being told that there are bad people here kidnapping and killing people. What if they come again? _What if they… take his mom._ Benjin began trembling in fear, creasing his robe from the force of his grip.

 _If they come again… will I be useless, just like last time?_

"No matter what, they will get what's coming for them!" Benjin snapped his head towards the other boy, surprised at his sudden outburst. "I have to do it… I have to save him!" _Can he really do it? How?_ He was just _one_ boy, against probably a whole _bunch_ of bad guys. Then again, he _did_ feel his aura earlier, from that strength, he would probably be able to learn magic. _Like me_.

Standing up slowly, one leg at a time, Benjin began, "I don't know how you're going to do _that,_ but you know…" A slight smile stretched across his cheeks. "I believe in you."

The boy returned his own smile. "Hey… sorry for lashing at you earlier, I'm Jellal," He lifted his hand, gesturing for a hand-shake.

Benjin felt a breeze rustle his cloak, before returning the gesture. "Don't worry about it, I'm Benjin." As soon as he came into contact with the other, he was able to feel the aura far accurately than he was before.

"I have a feeling that we'll be great friends."

"Me too."

* * *

 **2 Weeks Later**

Ever since their first meeting, Benjin would meet with Jellal at the rock every day at noon. They would often talk about their lives and just hang out with each other. Often times, he came here to keep his mind off his mother's sickness.

Despite resting basically the _entire_ day, his mother still became sicker; she could barely walk even after constant breaks. Most of the time, she would be confined to the house, forcing him to quickly learn many skills such as cooking, cleaning, and basic maintenance to keep up their living conditions.

Currently, he was on his way to the forest to meet once again with his friend. As he neared the rock that they dubbed 'The Rock of Beginnings,' he noticed Jellal already on top. Benjin climbed up swiftly, greeting the other boy with a wave. Sitting down next to him, they once again looked towards the North.

"Today's the day," Jellal smiled broadly. _The day?_ Benjin looked at him in confusion. "I'm going to find those dark mages, so they can take me to the Tower of Heaven." Benjin's eyes widened at his words.

 _What! Did I hear him right? He was going to get captured on purpose? Why?!_

"Are you crazy?!" Never in his life would he ever _think_ about something like that! _That's basically suicide_!

"I _have_ to do it!" Benjin once again saw the fire he saw when they first met; the blue-haired boy's magic flared for the briefest of moments, an aura of determination radiating from his form. _Should I go with him?_ Benjin looked down with a forlorn expression. He wanted to help his first and only friend, but could he really _? No… mom needs me._ " _He_ would have done the same if he were in my place!"

Benjin slumped forward, his hands cradling his knees. "There's no convincing you, is there?" Deep down, he wanted to help even though they only met two weeks ago… _I don't want him to leave too._ Thinking of his father, his mom, and then himself, he realized just how little he was actually capable of doing. _What CAN I even do?_ Smiling sadly, Benjin reached into his storage dimension and took out a small charm, handing it to his friend. "This is a good luck charm that I picked up somewhere along the way when I was younger." Jellal took the little round coin from him. "I'm not really sure if it works, but it certainly gives you a little something."

Jellal looked down at the coin before slipping it into his pocket. "Thanks," the blue-haired boy turned towards Benjin, lightly being the two's final hour together.

"Good Luck…" The tattooed boy extended his fist, causing the blonde to bump it in kind.

* * *

After the two parted ways, Benjin couldn't help but feel a familiar emptiness inside his gut. _Then again, that could be the hunger and exhaustion… maybe._

Right now, he was currently boiling a rabbit he caught after his meeting with Jellal. He didn't like the idea of carrying a wriggling wild animal, so he just magic'd it then dumped it to his storage space. It was quite stupid really, he was nearly out-wrestled by a rabbit not a fifth of his size.

Anyhow, ignoring the battle of the demon hare, he began to sort through his stuff, trying to find the herbs he found around the village. _A little bit more flavour on this bland thing would be nice_. Although he _certainly_ wasn't a master, he was quite confident in his ability to not poison himself or his mother. In the past two weeks, he had learned a lot about cooking from his mom; since she couldn't do it herself, being confined to the bed basically, she was still able to give him instructions from behind. The extra labour didn't really matter though, as he was glad to be able to take care of his mother while learning a very fun skill.

"How are you feeling mom?" Benjin looked at his sweating mom while stirring the contents inside the cast iron pot. A light cough could he heard as Rosalia attempted to speak.

She turned towards Benjin with a weak smile. "I-I-I have been… b-better." Her words were frail, forced, and void of life. What happened for things to go this way? _Dad… what would you do if you were here?_

He looked out the window to see the fading light of the sun caress his face as it gently descended towards the horizon. _The light will always be on your side…_ Benjin remembered the words of his father as if it was yesterday, even if it felt like _nothing_ was on his side _._

Benjin gripped the bowl until his knuckles turned white. _Why can I never do anything?!_ There was no doctor in the village, and those who get sick usually don't make it. _Why can I do nothing to help… just like back then!_ He was snapped out of his thoughts as he realized the stew he was making began overflowing.

 _Shit!_ Quickly covering his hands with magic, he lifted the pot away from the fire and onto the ground while a weak giggle came from his mom's lips.

Smiling, Benjin grabbed a nearby stool to sit beside the bed. He ladled some of the stew he made into a bowl while grabbing a spoon with his other hand.

"Here mom, I made some stew," his hands shook slightly when he saw there was no immediate reaction from his mom. _No…_

"Thank you, Benjin," her eyes fluttered opens, to Benjin's relief. _She was there for me…_ So why couldn't he help her? Absentmindedly, the son scooped a spoonful from the bowl to his mom's lips. She slowly swallowed while her eyes glistened, showing a weak smile.

"You're so caring… just like your father." Despite her words, Benjin could only feel the guilt rising from his stomach.

"Benjin, there is something… I've been meaning to give you." She pointed to a nearby smile, causing Benjin to Immediately turn towards it _. This_? The boy took a pile of cloth separated from everything else on the shelf, clasping it into his mom's hands. As she unwrapped the cloth, a golden pendant bearing a strange symbol - a circle with a cross contained within its edges. There was something coming from it. _Like a call…_ "T-this was o-once… your father's," she coughed into the bed, causing Benjin to droop his eyes in remorse as he saw the blood-stained sheets.

"Don't mom, just rest," He grasped her hand that was holding the pendant. _Please… don't leave me._ Not again. First his father, then his friend, and then _mom._ His eyes began to burn, he could do nothing but bite into his lips as he felt her breathing slow. His palms lightly met her face as he forced his glistening eyes to close. No matter what, he _had_ to remain strong; the last thing she'll see, will _not_ be him breaking down. _Mom… I'll hold on for as long as you need me to._

Benjin could tell that this was likely their last day together, and there was nothing he could do but to accept reality. Deep down, he wanted her to stay with him. If she was truly gone, he would be _utterly_ lost. Yet, at the same time, he wished she would pass her away, so she would suffer no longer. _Dad…_ he looked towards the still setting sun, once again remembering the words he once told him. _Why didn't you come with us?_ Grasping his mother's hand in a firm grip, he held it in front of his face. What was once warm and loving, become cold and still.

 _If someone is out there_ … he stared at the ceiling, only to be met by a deafening silence _. Anyone… PLEASE HELP ME!_ Slumping towards his mother, his tears broke through the weak barrier he erected. Maybe if he was stronger, he could have helped his dad. Maybe if he was braver, he could have helped his friend. Maybe if he was smarter, he could have… _saved_ his mom. _Why, am I so useless!_

Soon, the boy felt the final bits of warmth leave the hand he held so fervently. Time seem to freeze for a moment; for he refused to believe what was happening even though deep inside he knew that this was _not_ a dream. The final seconds of evening light disappeared as the sun fell below the horizon.

"No, no, no _, NO!_ Please! You can't leave me _… you can't"_ One last desperate prayer, one he knew would likely be ignored. An anguished scream, one not unlike a knife straight through his chest, echoed through the rundown shack. Benjin could no longer hang onto the world of the waking; the strength he tried to so hard to muster was completely spent.

Soon, all he knew, was darkness.

 _Mom, Dad… please._

* * *

Benjin woke up from his kneeling position beside his mother's prone form. The ever-still body of the woman that cared for him his entire life laid cold and void of life.

Allowing his hands to grip his mother's, he moved his other hand to feel the cross on his pendant. He tightened his grip on both, gritting his teeth and forcing his eyes lid closed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Perhaps he wished he would have woken up in his old house, still with his mom, still with his dad. But now he was sure. This was _not_ a dream.

Another hour passed before he finally gained the resolve to leave his mother's side. Hesitantly, Benjin put a hand on her body and brought her into his storage space. If he wasn't able to save her, then he _will_ find a place to rest. _Anywhere but here._

He shifted his attention to his pendant, once again hearing the silent call emitting from its power within. The more he thought of it, the stronger it got. It was as if some unknown force lightly nudged him away from the rising sun. Giving one last glance to the bed, Benjin made his way towards the one place he might find a semblance of peace.

* * *

There it was, the rock where he met his first friend. Benjin looked upwards towards the sun to see it directly above him. Without thought, he began climbing, hoping to meet his blue-haired companion. The wind gently caressed his cheeks as he waited for him to arrive.

An hour, two hours, then three hours passed; it was already passed noon and still no sign of Jellal. Looking towards the ocean in the distance, Benjin closed his eyes, gradually realizing his current state. _He really went and did it… that crazy bastard._

Truly, he wished he had that kind of strength. To go so far just to save his friend. But here he was, a weak boy who could only watch as everyone he knew left him. Benjin continued to stare into the distance, his hand feeling the small pendant hung around his neck. The grip on his shirt hardened, his fingers greatly creasing the robe he always wore.

 _Why? WHY?! WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?!_

Safety and warmth were all he knew before his mother took him away from his home. But why? Why did they have to leave! Why couldn't have they stayed to help dad!

 _Weak…_

Tears once again found their ways to his eyes, within seconds a cascading waterfall soon followed. Was there even a point to staying strong anymore? His previous life was filled with happiness, protected by his parents. Yet, he seemed to lose everything he loved in the blink of an eye.

 _WEAK._

The void that threatened to consume him suddenly filled with fury. In his newfound rage, he put all his power and pent up emotion into a single spell. A magic circle far greater than any that he cast before manifested in front of him. With an agonized shout, a great blast of translucent light erupted from his hands. It tore through the trees, and the landscape, creating a small scar on the land in front of him.

 _WHY IS HE SO WEAK?!_

Panting heavily, his hands once again found its way to the pendant that hung around his neck. It had a slight presence that seemed to calm him, like someone, somewhere, told him that everything was going to be okay… even if he knew that it wasn't.

He looked up, wiping his tears with a sleeve; the sun shone bright above him without a cloud in sight. He allowed the rays of light to bathe his body, fueling the resolve that burned from within. A small smile broke through his saddened expression. _Everything still looks the same…_ Benjin looked around the forests, then to the rocks below. _So why does everything feel so different?_

So, what was he to do now? Uncertainty filled his being, his eyes drooping to the grass below. A hand reached towards his pendant, allowing him to feel the soft aura imbued inside. _It's been calling me for awhile now._ Benjin looked towards the North West, towards the distant mountains barely hidden by the horizon.

Benjin bore his teeth at the sunrise, a feeling of rage and determination filling him.

 _I won't be helpless… ever again!_

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 2 finished! Next Chapter - First encounter**

 **Note: Benjin's pendant symbol is the sun circle symbol.**

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 **[ROTLB: The Birth of the Light Bringer]**

 **[ROTLB: Light of Fairies]**

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 **[The Noble World]**

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	3. CH3 - The First Encounter

**Chapter 3 - The First Encounter**

 _Weak…_

Tears once again found their ways to his eyes, within seconds a cascading waterfall soon followed. Was there even a point to staying strong anymore? His previous life was filled with happiness, protected by his parents. Yet, he seemed to lose everything he loved in the blink of an eye.

 _WEAK._

The void that threatened to consume him suddenly filled with fury. In his newfound rage, he put all his power and pent up emotion into a single spell. A magic circle far greater than any that he cast before manifested in front of him. With an agonized shout, a great blast of translucent light erupted from his hands. It tore through the trees, and the landscape, creating a small scar on the land in front of him.

 _WHY IS HE SO WEAK?!_

Panting heavily, his hands once again found its way to the pendant that hung around his neck. It had a slight presence that seemed to calm him, like someone, somewhere, told him that everything was going to be okay… even if he knew that it wasn't.

He looked up, wiping his tears with a sleeve; the sun shone bright above him without a cloud in sight. He allowed the rays of light to bathe his body, fueling the resolve that burned from within. A small smile broke through his saddened expression. _Everything still looks the same…_ Benjin looked around the forests, then to the rocks below. _So why does everything feel so different?_

So, what was he to do now? Uncertainty filled his being, his eyes drooping to the grass below. A hand reached towards his pendant, allowing him to feel the soft aura imbued inside. _It's been calling me for awhile now._ Benjin looked towards the North West, towards the distant mountains barely hidden by the horizon.

Benjin bore his teeth at the sunrise, a feeling of rage and determination filling him.

 _I won't be helpless… ever again!_

* * *

 **Somewhere in Bosco - X776**

"ARRRGHHH!" A great scream of fury screeched across the landscape, followed by a golden construct of a gauntlet delivering a devastating strike to the mountain side.

 _I refuse to be weak!_ He remembered the despair and helplessness when everyone around him left.

Another great strike plowed into the rock face, sending massive chunks of debris all around him. With eyes filled with conviction, a golden magic circle emerged in response to his will.

He hated himself for abandoning his father; as a naive child, all he could do was follow his mom. There was nothing he could have done, except _run_.

A compressed pillar of aura erupted from his form; it concentrated itself into a golden sphere before launching itself towards another rock face. The explosion that followed caused his robe to billow in the wind generated by the force. His hands came together, clasped in a prayer position in preparation of another spell. His teeth gritted against each other, beads of sweat dropping from his brow.

 _Never Again!_

The golden-haired mage thought back to the time he sat and could do nothing but watch when his mother faded. He focused his power into the ground, causing a magic circle multiple times his size to emerge.

"Smite!" he shouted; a great pillar of brilliant gold erupted into the air above, incinerating the tree branches that were unfortunate enough to be struck.

He panted in exhaustion; the strength of the spells took great tolls on his reserves. Releasing several grunts of exasperation, he pushed back his fatigue and ran towards the semi-destroyed rock face. Conjuring constructs resembling large hooks, he hastened his ascent of the small mountain. Never had he truly tested his magic to this extent; his everlasting momentum carried him to the peak, allowing the rays of the sun to tickle his skin. A familiar feeling of invigoration entered his body as he felt some of his stamina recovering. With one last bellow, he forced all his magic into one final spell.

 _If we ever meet again, I won't have to fall behind!_ He remembered the departure of his blue-haired friend.

Another magic circle materialized, this time straight above him. His body slowly levitated into the air as the construct of a gargantuan paladin began to form, flashing in and out of existence.

Conviction, determination, and resolve filled his being as he pushed his will into the golden knight, solidifying its form with a glow that traveled from the top to the bottom of the construct.

Giving one last look to the skies above, the spell faded and Benjin plummeted into the ground.

 _Shit._

Despite the difficulty of standing up, he forced himself to his feet and went to sit on the edge of the mountain. His magic was spent, but not his spirit. As soon as he was recovered, he would continue to practice and practice, until he is fully prepared for whatever might come for him.

 _And I'll never have to feel that pain ever again._

* * *

 **A week later**

 _Damn, has it really been a year?_

Following the 'call', he constantly travelled towards the North West, hoping that his search wouldn't be fruitless. On the road, he constantly practiced the magics that his parents taught him. The white cloak he wore before was replaced by one that was dark blue, bearing a symbol on the back that had a circle with a cross contained in its edges on. Bright golden lapels lined the collar of his jacket while he had simple brown pants and boots to complete the set.

Nothing exciting happened, couple villages here and there, even managing to find a tailor that made him his current attire. On a whim, the boy looked back towards the South East, where his home would be. _If I ever go back, would it still be there?_

As if by reflex, he once again grasped his pendant, remembering the grief and then the determination that came from it in order to become stronger.

 _God._ Has he been basically by himself for - _I think three?_ \- months already? Sometimes he would resort to throwing rocks and random things just to pass the time. Despite the freedom, it was getting increasingly _frustrating_ from being in the wild by himself. This was the longest he went without any villages or _something;_ any longer and he would probably go crazy.

Whenever he would truly sit down and try to clear his mind, the only thing he could think of was the horrendous image of his mom going silent. The only thing he could do to take his mind off of that was train. Fire spell after spell until he got tired, then nap it out; repeat. Cook when he got hungry, sleep when it got late. True, he was constantly adding more and more to his repertoire and he could probably beat up a gorilla, but it this routine was _maddening!_

After another while of walking, he noticed some movement from the horizon. As they moved close, he was able to make out two old men sitting in front of a wagon while a horse pulled them along at a hurried pace.

 _Finally, some people!_

His face lit up as maybe they could have something interesting to talk about. They were probably merchants or salesman or maybe those guys that went around towns screaming about dumb things that nobody cared about. _I village criers… so, so much._

It wasn't even a minute before they closed the distance between each other.

"Hey kid! Move to the side!" One of the men pulled the horse's reins to stop the wagon, causing a loud rattle from the back of their cart. "Can't you see we're in a hurry!?" Benjin jogged up excitedly, eager to talk to people after months of isolation.

"Hi! Where are you two going?" One of the men relaxed while looking back on the road behind them and said. "A demon showed up in the village we were at." He lifted the horse's reins while preparing to tell it to move. "Listen kid, take it from me, _don't_ go there."

 _A demon?!_ Benjin thought of the horned beasts his father used to tell him about, his eyes opened fully from the interesting news. Would it be a cuddly demon? _Okay that's absolutely stupid, damn dad would have laughed at that._ Should he turn back? Or maybe just go around the village when he reaches it? Benjin put a finger to his chin in thought. _It can't be THAT bad… but I'm SO curious._ It's decided, he's going to check it out.

Looking up to the men with a sly grin, he asked, "Where is this 'Citrus' village? You know, so I can go around it."

One of the men raised his brow, obviously not convinced, before sighing. "Probably a day's travel on this road," Benjin quipped up instantly running around the wagon. "Oi kid! Don't do anything stupid!" His warning fell on deaf years as the boy was already a dot in the distance.

"Hey Carl, do you think we should have taken him with us?" Carl looked back at his companion with a look of disgust.

"Jaime, just because we deal in this business doesn't mean we can just go kidnapping whoever… I draw my line at children." Jaime simply shrugged.

"Whatever, you're the boss."

* * *

After about another day of travelling, he finally saw some houses in the distance. Hurrying his pace, Benjin went into a run for the final stretch of distance.

 _Yes! I'm here!_

Wow, the village looked like every single village he visited before. The same houses made of rotten wood, grass, and other stuff he didn't know about but looked the same.

 _Wait. That's new._

In the middle of the town, there was a large stone building inscribed with three swords intersecting with each other **[1]**. _A church?_ It seemed to be in the worst condition compared to the other buildings as far as he could see. Parts of it broke off and had large claw marks on the right side where he could make out traces of a dark aura. _Did… the demon do this?_

Benjin walked around the large building; by the way everything looked, it was as if the demon decided to drop by just to scratch it a couple time. _Cat demon?_ Maybe this was a good thing. From what his dad told him about demons, this entire village probably should have been a crater, or at best, completely burnt down.

As he walked around the damaged structure, he noticed a figure in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was an old lady doing some gardening in her front yard. _Ah ha, a person!_

"Hey old lady, do you know anything about the church and a demon?" Wait. Was that too rude? Bracing for the incoming scolding, he could only stare in confusion when the woman didn't even seem to turn. _Okay, bit louder this time._

"HEY! DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND A DEMON?!"

The old woman slowly stood up; she began to look around before slowly turning towards Benjin. "Did you hear something? I could have sworn I heard someone said demon." Wow it's like somebody dumped water into her ear.

Benjin walked closer to the woman before shouting louder. "I SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND A DEMON?!" The word demon caused the old woman to put a look of disgust on her face _. Finally! She hears._ She put one of her hands on her waist and pointed towards a lone house in the distance, separated from the rest of the village.

"Why it lives right over there," she spat with venom laced in her voice. "Are you here to get rid of it?" _I guess?_

Nodding in response, Benjin noticed a sly smile from the woman before he walked towards the house. _Wait…_ Did that old lady just allowed him, an _eleven-year-old_ boy, to go and fight a demon? _What the hell is wrong with her?_ Benjin scrunched up his face in thought. Then again, it _could_ have been an imp. Those things are supposed to be annoying little things that just went around stealing your stuff. _Basically, like rats really._ Wait, what about those claw marks? Those looked _pretty_ nasty.

 _Something's wrong here…_ A queasy feeling stemmed from his stomach as he thought about the demon. If it could do that much damage to _stone_ , maybe he should just get out of here? The old lady didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. Or what if… it _was_ an imp and the claw marks were done by the locals trying to kill it and they all gave up because of how _annoying_ it is! HAH! _Genius!_ He could just find the thing, punt it a couple times, _boom!_ Problem solved! Benjin put on a confident smile before walking towards the edge of the village.

Making his way towards the house, he noticed that it was covered in vandalism, graffiti and had giant holes in its windows. The stones making up the walls were crumbled, the wood surrounding the frames were rotten black and the lands all around had no grass _. This thing makes that crap shack look like a decent place!_ Whoever lived in this dump would be very, _very unlucky._

"Hey Imp Demon! Your horn looks ugly so you should come out and fight me!" From what his father told him in the past, demons _, especially_ imps, were very touchy creatures. _They also hate anyone using light magic so another plus there._

"…" His initial proclamation did nothing. _That_ should have had hordes running out in anger. Unless of course, there is no demon, everything's a lie, and this house is completely empty. _That means I can take the stuff inside… heh._ Probably wouldn't have anything useful, but still.

"If you don't come out, then I'm coming in~!" he exclaimed in a sing-song voice, pointing his index finger at the door while flaring his magic just enough.

What followed confused him; he saw a white-haired boy and girl who looked several years younger than himself hurriedly exit from the front door. _Eh?_ Neither of them had proper clothing; ripped and dirty rags covered their bruised forms and unkempt hair. Benjin raised his eyebrows at the absurd scene in front of him. _They don't look like imps to me._

Focusing his eyes, he decided to take a look at their auras. _Don't really seem too demon-y, oh? Probably have enough to become mages, not bad!_

He looked towards the two children, still wondering if there is anything here interesting in the first place _. Wait!_ Benjin widened his eyes as he remembered the words of his father regarding demons.

 _"...Demons come in all shapes, colours and sizes. Some can be the most monstrous and terrifying beasts in the world, yet some could look just like you and me. Like mages, Demons can be as harmless as a rabbit, but some hold strength that could rival the most powerful beings in the world. However, despite their differences, all demons shared a common trait - their horns. No matter what type, element, or birth a demon holds. All of them have at least a pair of horns on their heads._

 _Again, like mages, Demons have a wide variety of abilities. One thing to note however, is that they don't use the same Ethernano like you and me. Within Earthland, there exists a balance of energy within the landscape. While we use a combination of all three, demons mainly use the darkness that exists within Ethernano. It's because of this darkness, that demons all share an ability regardless of its strength - the ability to control the darkness of lesser beings… to possess them, so to speak._

 _There are very few who share our ability to see the auras of magic present in every living thing; the only indication of possession other than erratic behaviour are the irregular flows of aura..."_

"My sister's not a demon!" the boy shouted, interrupting Benjin from his thoughts. The boy put his fists up in a fighting stance, his legs widening as if preparing to go for a tackle. The girl had her hands opened defensively in front of the house while looking at him in an angered expression.

"Is that your sister?" Benjin pointed towards the younger girl beside the boy. "She looks like a normal kid." _No horns either._ Were these children being possessed or controlled? God damn why can't this be an easy encounter, play ball with a couple imps - _with them as the ball of course -_ boom, done. Of course, he would have to deal with some weird crap that no one could have prepa-

"Nobody's a demon!" _This boy needs to stop shouting._

"We won't let you get to our sister," the girl beside him ran forward defensively. _A third?_

Benjin raised a brow at the two, mouth slightly agape. "Can I see her anyway? I just want to make sur-"

"No!" The boy interrupted.

 _Okay that was kind of rude._ Benjin walked forward, startling the two. "Just tell me whe-"

"NO!" Benjin bit into his lip as a vein bulged from his forehead.

"I will drop you right now if you-"

"NOOOO!" The boy shouted defiantly once again.

"…"

His face began to contort with anger, he breathed in through his teeth and his fists were just begging to kiss that boy _. Right in the face._ While he did not want to attack some little kids that really didn't do anything wrong… although the boy could use a big bowl of 'shut up.'

Benjin walked to the boy while grabbing him by his collar, lifting him slightly to meet his eyes.

"Listen here you annoying twat! I'm trying to be civil here and you are not making my life any easier! Just tell me where she is," he shouted menacingly while his eyes glowed with power. "Or I'm going to blast you and it's damned well going to hurt!"

The children were visibly shaken now, all the bravado they had seemed to be gone as they felt magical pressure for the first time on their shoulders. _God, I want to punch his dumb face sooo much!_

"That's enough, Elfman, Lisanna," A soft timid came from behind the doors; a figure wearing a torn cloak where white locks of hair could be visible under the hood exited to meet him. She walked out in front of the others, taking her right arm from the cover of her cloak, revealing a grotesque clawed arm of a demon. The arm was a fleshy red colour, similar to an arm that was recently skinned, and burned… and thrown into a pit, _then stomped by a diseased eleph- Oh my friggin' god, that is HORRID._

 _Wait._ Benjin squinted his eyes to get as much detail as possible. _Are those EYEBALLS?_ Sure enough, multiple blue bulbs resembling reptilian eyes littered her entire fore arm. Benjin pulled back his lips into his mouth while his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"You wanted the demon to come out, right? Well, here I am." Despite her calm demeanor, Benjin could tell that she was afraid from the way he was looked at.

"Wait, you can't!" The little girl pleaded. "He'll hurt you!"

 _Ok time for an aura check…_ Okay, nothing out of the ordinary. Benjin slightly widened his eyes. _Not bad, pretty large aura._ The blonde gave another look at the… _arm,_ before once again scrunching up, to the older girl's irk.

"Are you sure you're a demon?" Benjin kept glancing back and forth the arm and the three. "You don't look… horny" he put his fingers on both sides of his temples to mimic horns, causing her to stare back with a deadpan expression. _Darn, I was actually looking forward to kicking some imps around._

Said boy edged towards Benjin while swinging his arms down. "She's not a demon!" He once again shouted at him with his fear no longer present.

 _Please shut up, god!_ Benjin pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the incoming headache.

"Okay, okay, I get it. But seriously though what's with…" Benjin made another face while pointing at the arm, annoying the white-haired girl yet again, " _That._ "

"…"

"…"

"…"

The three kids stared at each other, as if silently debating whether or not to tell. They began making weird faces at each other with the boy constantly shaking his head. Eventually, the two younger kids slumped in reluctance, while giving Benjin one final glare.

"…I guess we can tell you." The eldest of the trio gestured him to enter the house. _Well okay, maybe there's free food?_

* * *

Upon entering, Benjin took notice at the interior of house - the conditions were much worse than the one he himself had lived in.

 _Wow, and here I thought I would be able to find cool stuff here._ As he looked around the house, he saw a painting of two people, a white-haired man and a brown-haired woman embracing each other. It was not of the best quality, but it wasn't difficult to conclude that they were the parents of the three kids.

He focused his magic to try to feel more auras; however, it seemed that those three were the only ones in here not including himself. Either their parents were out, or they… _died_. Benjin's gaze travelled to the ground, his eyes crestfallen and his lips parted. _Boy, I know how that feels._

The three kids proceeded to sit around a crude dining table. Benjin pulled a stool from his dimension and followed suit. "Before we start, why don't we introduce ourselves," the eldest girl gave him a guarded look. She had a more mature face compared to the younger sister… Lisanna?

 _Wow, if all imps were like her, I probably wouldn't kick them, maybe._ Although he had never seen a demon before, his father shown him illustrations of the savage beasts and they were the most frightening things he ever saw. Most of them were gigantic monstrous beings with massive horns protruding from their heads.

"…this is Elfman," she pointed to the boy, "and this is Lisanna," she gestured to the girl. Benjin raised a brow. _Wait she didn't even say her own name, oh well._

"I'm Benjin!" The blonde gave a confident smile _. Sounds so much cooler than Elf-man… hehe._ "So, weird-arm wh-"

"Mira-jane!" The girl turned away and crossed her arms, obviously not happy. _Oops._

Benjin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Okay… so what happened here?"

Mirajane sighed, before beginning. "It happened like this…"

 _The village of Citrus was in chaos, it was being attacked by a demon known as Arzea - a succubus subservient to one of the great three, Diablo. It was an unprovoked attack as it was the first time anyone in the village has ever interacted with a member of her race. Arzea was supposedly an intelligent demon; however, she was behaving like a savage - she screeched randomly while constantly attacking the church - and only the church._

 _It was at this time that a lone white-haired girl ran towards the church. She attempted to fight the demon despite not knowing any magic herself._

 _As she neared, Arzea did not pay attention to her. She instead focused on doing as much damage as possible to the church, continuously swiping it with demonic energy. The girl only had basic combat knowledge, but she still went and engaged the demon. She was able to send a strike to the demon's back; however, instead of a strike, she felt as if there an internal tug of war between the demon and herself._

 _The demon did not put up much resistance, no doubt due to the state of her mind causing her to have an extremely weak will. The moment the demon was overpowered, the girl felt an inflow of power into her body, simultaneously transforming her arm into the same likeness as the demon she defeated._

 _Despite defeating the demon, the girl received no praise nor gratitude. Instead, she was treated as a demon as the villagers believed her to be possessed. They even went as far as to harass her and attack her, forcing her to live in isolation from the rest of the village._

 _Wow._

Those villagers honestly sounded like a bunch of assholes. Gesturing to the girl, he asked "if staying here brings all of you so much trouble, why not just leave?" The kids looked at each other in silence, their eyes distant while a forlorn expression was plastered on each of their faces.

"This is our home, it's our parent's house" the eldest answered. "We don't want to leave…" She began gripped the fabric of the cloak. "We have… nowhere else to go." _I guess, I can kind of understand._ If not for whatever came _that_ day, he probably would have chosen to stay in his old home.

After a couple minutes of silence, the three kids began staring out of the window, where it showed a path leading out of the village.

Benjin stared at the floor, before glancing to the three. _They must really want to leave…_ But what could he do? It wasn't like he could just store the entire house with him… _could he?_ He still had his limits, and he was sure this was something that he just _couldn't do._

Looking completely stumped, Benjin put his hands to his temples and began massaging them, trying hard to think. _What would dad do?_ Sure, he could probably just tie them up and carried them away. But they would probably just return here. _Dad… would have used his words._ His father always knew exactly what to say. If he was truly his son, maybe he could do it too?

Benjin got out of his stool and walked to the center of the trio, putting a hand on the two younger sibling's shoulders, to the slight irk of the boy. The siblings looked at him curiously as he put on a gentle smile and began to say.

"Hey, I'm not experienced at stuff like this but…" he gave all three children a glance before looking out the window.

"Home isn't a land, village, or some rundown shack like this," Benjin saw three slight glares towards him, probably not happy he just insulted the house. He rolled his eyes, continuing.

"Anyway, it's somewhere where you can just sit down," Images of his parents smiling at him flashed across his mind, causing a slight frown, "and say, _this_ is where I want to be."

The eldest girl looked down in thought, before facing the blonde. "But we can't just-" she was interrupted by Benjin patting her head - causing a small huff to escape the girl's lips.

"I probably don't have any business saying this but," Benjin glanced around, gesturing to the junk lying around the house, as well as the bruises on her siblings. "Is this _really_ where you want to be?"

"…"

Closing his eyes, Benjin walked towards the front door, getting ready to leave the three. "From what I see, there's really not much for you here," _Just like how there wasn't much for me in that village._ "I'll tell the villagers I 'vanquished' you or something, maybe that'll help." A silent stare from the three.

Benjin gave one last glance at the siblings before leaving. "I'll see you three around, I guess…"

After Benjin left the trio, he could only stare at the ground. _They still have each other…_ Seeing the three care for each other, reminded him that he was _alone._ Benjin sighed as he looked up towards the sky. _Light's on my side my butt…_

While being lost in his thoughts, Benjin did not notice the crowd of villagers until they began murmuring at him. Raising his head up, he looked at the villagers with an expression filled with fatigue and annoyance.

"If you are wondering about the 'demon', I punted it in the face many times and is now dead." _What the hell am I even saying?_

A man dressed in a long brown robe walked forward with a slight smile. "Wonderful! The demon attacked our village and possessed a girl!" he extended an arm up and tried to shake Benjin's hand. "We could not thank you enough for getting rid of her!" _Did he just say her?_

Wow. Just wow. He didn't think it was possibly to eclipse the asshole scale to this degree, but wow. Screw it. He was done here, and never coming back.

"If there's anything we can do for you, just say!" Benjin sighed, before his eyes landed on a cart of food.

He pointed to the stack, a grin on his face. "Can I have that?"

The man looked at the wagon, before shrugging his shoulder. "Our extra potatoes?" He looked back at Benjin, who was still grinning. "Sure, it's probably going to go bad anyway, it's the least we can do for our little junior exorcist!" The blonde felt a hand ruffle his hair, to his dismay.

"…Thanks." Benjin walked towards the wagon before focusing his magic. After about thirty seconds, a golden rippling portal appeared above it, descending and taking the entire thing into his storage dimension. _A bit draining, but nothing too serious._ Once he finished, he walked past the crowd of gossiping men and women and made for the edge of the village.

On the corner of his eye, he could see three familiar tufts of white hair entering the forest to the West, bringing a smile to his face.

 _Good Luck._

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 **Chapter 3 finished! Next Chapter: A Library?**

 **[1]: Chi-roh symbol**

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	4. CH4 - Ancient Secrets

**Chapter 4 - Ancient Secrets**

After Benjin left the trio, he could only stare at the ground. _They still have each other…_ Seeing the three care for each other, reminded him that he was _alone._ Benjin sighed as he looked up towards the sky. _Light's on my side my butt…_

While being lost in his thoughts, Benjin did not notice the crowd of villagers until they began murmuring at him. Raising his head up, he looked at the villagers with an expression filled with fatigue and annoyance.

"If you are wondering about the 'demon', I punted it in the face many times and is now dead." _What the hell am I even saying?_

A man dressed in a long brown robe walked forward with a slight smile. "Wonderful! The demon attacked our village and possessed a girl!" he extended an arm up and tried to shake Benjin's hand. "We could not thank you enough for getting rid of her!" _Did he just say her?_

Wow. Just wow. He didn't think it was possibly to eclipse the asshole scale to this degree, but wow. Screw it. He was done here, and never coming back.

"If there's anything we can do for you, just say!" Benjin sighed, before his eyes landed on a cart of food.

He pointed to the stack, a grin on his face. "Can I have that?"

The man looked at the wagon, before shrugging his shoulder. "Our extra potatoes?" He looked back at Benjin, who was still grinning. "Sure, it's probably going to go bad anyway, it's the least we can do for our little junior exorcist!" The blonde felt a hand ruffle his hair, to his dismay.

"…Thanks." Benjin walked towards the wagon before focusing his magic. After about thirty seconds, a golden rippling portal appeared above it, descending and taking the entire thing into his storage dimension. _A bit draining, but nothing too serious._ Once he finished, he walked past the crowd of gossiping men and women and made for the edge of the village.

On the corner of his eye, he could see three familiar tufts of white hair entering the forest to the West, bringing a smile to his face.

 _Good Luck._

* * *

 **Mountain Path - North West of Citrus**

His experience at Citrus village left a sour frown on his face. Everything was so _backwards_ that it gave him a headache just thinking about it. Really, they should have gave her a bunch of chocolate, flowers - _or whatever girls liked -_ not shun them then break their house! _I should have kicked that man's shin before I left._

Sighing, Benjin looked up towards the western forests; he could not help but think what happened to the three. Were they okay? Did they get eaten by a bear? Hopefully, wherever they decided to go, it would be better than the garbage can of a village back there.

Looking back towards the path, Benjin noticed that the way towards the 'call' was becoming increasingly difficult. What used to be a relatively flat plain quickly became mounds and mounds of rock with no clear way in sight. If he wasn't careful, he probably could have plummeted into a cave or something, _and that would be REALLY bad._ Also, moss, can't forget moss because apparently his path wasn't already hard enough.

 _It's good exercise at least… I think._

If anything, it _did_ help him keep his mind off things.

After ascending to a relatively flat plateau, Benjin looked to see an actual road built into the mountain. It was wide enough for maybe like ten people to walk side by side, and it was long enough to reach around the mountain as far as he could see. The boy looked from one end of the road to the other, noticing that the East side actually went towards the ground. _That's gotta be like 10km! That_ would have taken him _hours_ just to get to.

 _Screw it, magic time._

"Light-Make: Scythe!" From his hands, two magic circles appeared, each expelling a construct. The blonde looked at his creation with a confident smile. _This shall be good!_ With a magic-boosted leap, the boy began ascending the rock face, using his spell to pull himself up.

 _Ah ha! Probably saved like four hours just doing a bit of climbing!_

Alright, time to go! Benjin dispelled his constructs and began walking at a leisurely pace towards the west.

* * *

Hours passed; Benjin perked up as he heard commotion from around the mountain. As he neared the source of the sound, he saw that there were multiple wagons lead by a blue-haired man wearing a purple cloak on horseback _. Travellers_!

The boy took a closer look at the group; the man had a weird curved 'X' tattooed above his right eye while a smug smirk was plastered on his face. Benjin looked away nervously. _This guy looks kind of sketchy…_ Might not be a good idea to talk to him. One more look. _Yep, definitely not._

As the twelve-year-old walked past the wagon, Benjin frowned from the men slowing down in front of him. _Darn… now I'll HAVE to talk to them otherwise it would be rude._ Please don't talk to him, please don't talk to him, please don't talk to him, please don-

"And just where do you think you're going?" _Shit!_

Breathing in deeply, Benjin responded, "Nowhere." The blonde tried his best to hide his own anxiousness. _I mean, I'm not exactly lying, I don't exactly know where I'm going right now._

The blue-haired man's grin widened further and smugger. "Look at what we have here men! Some kid thinks he can look down on us!" His followers began chuckling darkly at his proclamation. "You guys know what to do." _Wait what?!_ Benjin widened his eyes and the man covered his hands in some sort of dark blue flame; followed by the others drawing weapons and readying their own magic.

 _Holy Shit are they actually going to try and kill me!?_ Okay, okay, _no big deal._ This is what he practiced for: situations _just_ like this one! Random men wanting to hit you. Benjin took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes. _You know what? I don't have to be scared of these guys; they look like idiots anyway!_ With a defiant glare, a rippling portal formed in front of the boy, a wooden pole equal in length to his height slowly exiting.

"You want some of this?" He gripped the staff, twirling a few times before pointing it at the increasingly annoyed man. "Well come and get some!" A golden aura flowed out of the young mage, the sight of which cause the opposing men to open their mouths agape.

"Why are you all just standing there!" The leader turned towards his men with a scowl, pointing at Benjin. "He's just a dumb kid, attack him!"

The men looked at each other, deciding whether or not attacking and robbing the kid was worth it. After they shared a silent look, they looked forward, unanimously deciding.

"Right away! Lord Bora!" _Here they come!_

Right away, the five men charged Benjin in a spearhead formation; the one in front attempted a strike to his head, only to be dodged and met with a staff to his midsection. The second and third shared a look, rushing him together after the first was knocked into the cliff side. One went for a low kick while the other attempted to launch a fireball to his chest.

 _Wait these guys kind of suck._

Benjin's confident grew, returning to his stance. "Nice try, Slowpoke!" He spun his staff around to sweep the one going for the kick and he used a magic-infused backfist to rebound the fireball towards the attackers. _These guys REALLY suck._

"You know," Benjin raised a brow, "I was actually kind of scared when you all attacked me but damn! You guys are pretty bad at this!" The men all glared at the boy; none were very happy about being belittled by a boy. The rest all aimed at Benjin while firing simultaneously, an array of spells all made their way towards their target, only to be met by a translucent golden barrier.

"Holy Barrier," Benjin said dismissively. He expected more from these guys… although it was probably for the best, they weren't _that_ strong, or otherwise he might be the on in the wall right now. Thankfully, the barrier did not show any signs of damage from being hit the spells. Really, the big-ass pig he had to fight last week was probably stronger than _these_ losers.

"He's not human!" Benjin turned one of the men, who was frozen in fear from his 'strength.' _Wow._ Benjin then turned towards the leader - Bora, who had a waterfall of sweat vigorously dripping down his chin. _Really… wow._

Benjin actually began to feel a bit of pity for these guys, _actually no_ , they tried to kill him! The boy furrowed his brows, giving the men a glare. "It's not like I'm a monster or anything, all of you are just straight bad." Dispelling his barrier, the blonde focused his magic towards his palm, small particles of light coalescing to form a small magic circle.

"Light Chains," Within mere moments, a dozen of light constructs shot out from his palm towards the men.

"AUUUGGGGHHH," they began screaming as Benjin's spell quickly wrapped towards their arms, legs, torsos… and _face_ for one unfortunate mage.

"ARGH MY FACE." _AND I'm covering his mouth too._ Freaking idiot.

He slightly strained when he lifted all of them into the ground _. Take this!_ With one swift motion, all the men, with the exception of Bora, were slammed violently into the ground, cracking it. All the henchmen were now lying in their craters, defeated and unconscious - leaving only their _esteemed_ leader to fight.

Bora, while still on his horse, backed up and put a hand in front of him. "Hey… can't we talk about this," the man took out a large bag filled with colourful spheres, "I'm sure we can work something out, right? Maybe I can give you some candy?"

 _Candy? That actually sounds pretty awesome!_ Bora was just about to turn tail and run before being forced off his horse, with said horse galloping away. He looked towards his midsection only to have his movements restrained by six constructs that looked like leaves.

"Six light rods." _I'll be taking that._ Benjin snatched the bag out of the leader's hands, before inspecting one of them. _Ooo! Chocolate!_ He popped one in his mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing. _Not bad._

Anyways, did any of them know how to dodge? What was the point of attacking him anyway? He was quite _literally_ a twelve-year-old kid with _nothing_ valuable. It's not like they decided to beat up a kid just for fun, right?

Benjin rolled his eyes, before stepping in front of Bora. He shot out a chain to wrap around him, raising him to eye level. With narrowed eyes, Benjin focused magic down to his palm, readying another spell, "So, why'd you decide to attack me?" This brought a chuckle to the older male's lips.

"As if I'm afraid of some _dumb_ kid," Bora shot back with a sly grin, causing a vein to bulge from Benjin's forehead.

"…"

This guy looked like an idiot among idiots and he had the _balls_ to call _him_ dumb? Really? Not wanting to deal with this, Benjin aimed towards the mountain and shot a light blast, destroying some of the rock in a concussive explosion. The very instant that happened, the blue-haired man dropped his bravado and looked away in nervousness.

"We-were-traveling-back-from-selling-some-slaves-and-you-looked-like-a-good-sell-so-we-wanted-to-kidnap-you-and-" the man got out before Benjin maneuvered the chains and slammed him on the ground, knocking him unconscious.

 _Asshole_! An asshole of assholes! Benjin dispelled his technique restraining Bora and looked towards the wagons. Selling slaves? _Kidnapping_ children? Was today the universal asshole day? Was he travelling on the road of assholes in the country of cunts? _My GOD!_ Benjin breathed in heavily through his teeth, before shaking his head to calm down.

 _Okay, I'm good._

Exiting his thoughts, the blonde boy looked back towards the wagons… _maybe_ there was something cool in them. With another light chain, he ripped off one of the doors off its hinges and revealed many boxes of different shapes and sizes. Benjin looked at the unconscious men, grinning slyly. _Well, looks like these are all mine now!_

The blonde pried open a locked chest with constructs of gauntlets. It revealed an entire box of gold, jewels, and weird coloured metals. _Yes! Jackpot!_ Being quite satisfied with what he found, Benjin put back the chest and put his palm on the side of the wagon. He stayed there for a minute with his eyes closed before the wagon disappeared into his storage dimension. _Okay, in the future I GOT to make that faster._

Begrudgingly, the blonde did the same for all the other wagons, leaving the men with nothing but the clothes on their bodies. _Hmmf, idiots._

And with that, he left the unconscious men, and continued on the mountain path.

* * *

It would be another three hours before Benjin reached the other side of the mountain. What was once hundreds of rocky peaks were now replaced with a large lake guarded by tall mountains on all sides. Grassy terrain blanketed the lake, mimicking a desert oasis. There was a small stone path leading to the center of the lake which housed a small island in between. In the interior, the island was outlined by a circle of trees on its coast; a large structure taking the shape of a reverse 'U' stood in the heart of the isle.

Benjin raised his brows, whistling in amazement as he took in the sight.

 _Maybe a detour wouldn't be that bad… something feels off around here though._ Benjin shook his head. _It's probably nothing._

Continuing, Benjin quickly made his way down by skillfully jumping from rock to rock, using light constructs to hasten his descent. _What's this?!_ Benjin narrowed his eyes and looked around the valley. _The 'call' is stronger here, but for some reason… it's muddied._ Reaching towards his pendant, he felt a pull in place of the usual beacon. The boy widened his eyes in realization. _I don't how and what, but whatever I've been following, it HAS to be somewhere here!_

Benjin made his way towards stone passage, taking in the building in detail as he did. The massive structure had rings of trees surrounding the island. Where he was walking on, the stone path, was easily five times the size of the mountain pass he came from and was laid brick by brick with textured swirls on each. Multiple lamps lined the edges of the path, each of them emitting a dull glow, enhancing the already present light of the sun.

 _Damnnnnn!_

Benjin poked his head over the edge of the path, noticing that the water making up the moat was almost _completely clear_. The afternoon sun shined brightly upon the water surface, illuminating the depths below. The boy was never really a sightseer, but _this…_ was something else. There were no fish in the water, no birds in the sky, only the orchestra of nature that seemed to embody what it means to be 'peaceful.'

As he walked through the small opening within the ring of trees, he saw that the structure had five levels, each was decorated with massive marble pillars easily towering over him. The long line of pillars led to a herculean temple-like structure with a grand set of staircases that stretched from one side to the other.

 _This isn't a normal building… whatever was calling me, MUST have been here._

Benjin smiled, his attention turning towards another thing of interest; it was a statue that reached to the third level of the library made to the image of a woman wearing a dress, shoulder plates, and a cape that reached to her lower back. She was holding multiple scrolls with one hand while the other was extended for an owl that perched itself on top.

The boy had his mouth agape, taking in the beauty of everything around him. Slowly, he stumbled his way to the top of the stairs, continuously glancing back and forth to the statue as he did so. _Were there many other places like this… rr was I just REALLY lucky?_

True to that thought, all the tiny wooden villages he saw was _nothing_ compared to what this was now.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Benjin looked into the entrance to see ornament shelves reaching all the way up to the fifth floor, books of all shapes and sizes were neatly tucked away into each. _Wait,_ the boy furrowed his brows, glancing around in confusion, _is this a library?_ From the side he noticed a spiral staircase connecting the floors in the middle. Focusing his eyes, he could make out two other auras inside the library.

Benjin smiled. _One of them HAD to be the librarian._ Perhaps if he asked them, he would be closer to figuring just whatever this 'call' _was._ Switching his attention to the closer aura, he made his way towards the mixture of colours and shapes that made it up; he came across a bunch of books hovering around a purple-haired woman that looked _maybe_ in her thirties. She had white streaks on her hair that trailed down to some kind of suit with a knee-length skirt.

"Hello, do you work here?"

The woman jumped in surprise from his greeting, snapping out of her heavy concentration as she dropped the book she was holding. "Who's there?!" she abruptly turned around to face him, revealing sky-blue eyes filled confusion.

Benjin gave a wave to her and put on the friendliest smile he could. "Hey, I'm just wondering if you could help me find some uh… books," he glanced back and forth to the books on the ground and the woman. _Great now I feel bad._

The woman bent down to retrieve her items on the ground while adjusting her glasses - causing a glint of light on her frames. Smiling back, she perked. "Why of course little one! No one ever comes here to read anymore. In fact, two people including yourself came in looking for books today! The last time there were _any_ visitors was just over a year ago!" She got more and more excited as she continued.

Wait, over a year ago? She was by herself for more than a year? Imagine the amount of _cleaning_ she had to do! He was basically done just sweeping his tiny house - _in comparison at least -_ for just a single day! Benjin chuckled sheepishly. Imagine doing _that_ for this _whole_ friggin' building!

Snapping out of his thoughts, Benjin returned his attention to the woman. "Doesn't it get lonely in here by yourself?"

She giggled slightly, sorting books around the shelves by levitating them around. "Oh, heavens no! I'll go crazy here if I were to be by myself. I have my daughter to keep me company!" _I guess that's not TOO bad._ Considering he basically lived with his mom and dad for eleven years.

Benjin put a finger to his chin. All these books here and it's impossible to know where to start; history, general knowledge, an encyclopedia about magical pendants? Maybe something explaining about the symbol on his pendant? _Hmm, alright I know where I could start._

"Okay uh…" Benjin finalized the sections he wanted in his mind, "would you mind taking me to where the books on: Mythology, History… and Lost Magics are?" He added that last part just now as he was interested if there was something new, he could add to his own repertoire of magics. _If nothing else, magic stuff is ALWAYS fun._

The woman widened her eyes and had her mouth in a 'O' shape. "What a coincidence! The other person who came in was looking for similar things," she quickly moved all the books she had in the air into their proper places, before skipping towards the center staircase.

"Follow me! The Mystical section is all the way at the top!" The librarian seemed to be in a good mood - _scratch that_ \- a very good mood. What does she even read about? Glasses and flowers? Glasses _made_ from flowers? _Heh, flower glasses._

As the two made their way up the hundreds of flights of stairs, Benjin took note of the slight change in layout for the sections. The first to third floor were all the same. Rows upon rows of shelves lined the library's great halls, while large signs hung from the top indicating the section and category.

Suddenly, Benjin stopped as he passed the fourth floor, a wave of unease washing over him. _This sensation… it's like the books have their own presence_. Despite the similar designs in terms of structure, there were very faint auras hidden on the higher floors that became more prevalent the closer he got. The boy's gaze fell on the highest floor, his eyes widened in curiosity. _Just what do they have here?_

Reaching the top, Benjin continued to follow the librarian towards a dimly lit section far in the interior. A sign was placed right above the entrance… _Mystical._

Within, there were two hallways connected to the center that lead to different areas within the section. The center room had multiple circular shelves around outer edges and had four tables in the center. A spherical design of intersecting shapes and symbols covered the grounds and the dome-like ceiling.

Benjin turned away from the sight, addressing the librarian. "Thanks, Miss um…"

"Velvet," She smiled, gesturing to the right. "The hallway to your right leads to history of mythology and one to the left is where we have on _ancient_ magics. Can't call a section 'Lost Magics' if we have books on it after all! Hehe!" Funnily enough, she bounced in place from her _joke_ , causing Benjin to deadpan at her.

 _Well, okay then?_

As Velvet left the room, Benjin began to look around all the books, each emitting varying degrees of presence. _You know, I could probably just 'borrow' as many books as I want and NOT return them._ There was no security in here- _ow!_ The boy suddenly felt a prick at the top of his head, only to turn around and see nothing. _What the hell was that?!_

He rubbed his head, before continuing reluctantly; he noticed a hooded figure with a large book in front of him. _That aura… I feel as if I've seen it somewhere before._

Right when he walked passed the figure, he took a glance at one of the larger texts on the page; ' _Kairos Fernandez' Hmm,_ he had no idea who in the world that is.

* * *

The mythology and history section felt different from the other parts of the library. Wherever he looked, it was as if everything had an _otherworldly_ feel. They _all_ looked like normal books, but _still._

Now, how would he go towards finding what he wanted? Everything was neat and tidy sure, but there were probably still upwards of a thousand books in this section. Not only that, he had _zero_ idea of what he _was_ looking for. There could have been hundreds of years worth of history that was _completely_ irrelevant to him!

Benjin sighed, his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. _Might as well get started._ From the side, he grabbed a random book and began his search.

* * *

Hours passed, stacks of books surrounded him as he became more and more tense.

"Damn!" he threw the blue book he was reading away from him. _This is taking too goddamned long!_ Looking to the side, he noticed the skies began to dim from the gothic-style window.

Has it really been that long? It felt like he was only here for an hour; by the looks of it, half a day could have passed just like _that._ Standing up, he walked to the middle of the hallway and began looking towards the books located on the higher shelves. He would be here for months doing this the hard way, and he would sooner give up from frustration than find any _semblance_ of what he wanted… and his _dumb_ pendant wouldn't stop 'calling!' It was so freaking _annoy-_ Suddenly, Benjin widened his eyes in realization.

 _Wait, that's it!_ A smile graced his features; he was confident in his new 'brilliant' plan. _If this doesn't work, I swear I'm jumping out of the window._

Focusing his senses, he saw many different auras of all sizes and colours emit from different books. Furrowing his brows, he sharpened his concentration and began to filter out ones unlike the one emitted by his pendant. One by one, Benjin eliminated unlike auras, and through nearly an _hour_ of repeating this process, he had managed to narrow it down to just _one_ book. _Hopefully_ , that book had actual useful information and it just wasn't some crap about the writer of the book being related to the guy who forged his pendant or something.

Benjin looked up to the source of the aura. _Of course, it HAD to be all the way up there._ From far away it seemed the book was half the size of his body and probably weighed twice as much. _Should I climb up or just chain it?_ Screw it.

"Chains!" A single chain shot out of his hands, a magic circle indicating his cast. The construct extended towards the book, easily wrapping around it, pulling it down to the ground. Smiling, Benjin approached the result of his handiwork.

 _Let's take a look at what we have here._ He brushed the dust off of the book to reveal the title 'Lords of Empyrean.' The book was relatively thin despite its width _… which is honestly weird because they could have made it MUCH smaller._ As he cleaned the top of the book, he noticed the front cover had the same symbol as the one on his pendant with many golden lines zig-zagging towards the center.

An accomplished smile creeped up to his face. _Yes! This ought to be useful!_

Such a huge time-saver deserves a nice big pat on the back. There was no need to read _another_ hundred books all because of his wonderful plan. Despite finding such a good lead, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that its contents would continue his so-far winning spree.

The blonde took a deep breath, the rapid beating of his heart causing his hands to tremble as he reached towards the cover.

 _Here goes nothing._

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 4 finished! Next Chapter: The one who called.**

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	5. CH5 - The One who called

**Chapter 5 - The One who called**

 _Wait, that's it!_ A smile graced his features; he was confident in his new 'brilliant' plan. _If this doesn't work, I swear I'm jumping out of the window._

Focusing his senses, he saw many different auras of all sizes and colours emit from different books. Furrowing his brows, he sharpened his concentration and began to filter out ones unlike the one emitted by his pendant. One by one, Benjin eliminated unlike auras, and through nearly an _hour_ of repeating this process, he had managed to narrow it down to just _one_ book. _Hopefully_ , that book had actual useful information and it just wasn't some crap about the writer of the book being related to the guy who forged his pendant or something.

Benjin looked up to the source of the aura. _Of course, it HAD to be all the way up there._ From far away it seemed the book was half the size of his body and probably weighed twice as much. _Should I climb up or just chain it?_ Screw it.

"Chains!" A single chain shot out of his hands, a magic circle indicating his cast. The construct extended towards the book, easily wrapping around it, pulling it down to the ground. Smiling, Benjin approached the result of his handiwork.

 _Let's take a look at what we have here._ He brushed the dust off of the book to reveal the title 'Lords of Empyrean.' The book was relatively thin despite its width _… which is honestly weird because they could have made it MUCH smaller._ As he cleaned the top of the book, he noticed the front cover had the same symbol as the one on his pendant with many golden lines zig-zagging towards the center.

An accomplished smile creeped up to his face. _Yes! This ought to be useful!_

Such a huge time-saver deserves a nice big pat on the back. There was no need to read _another_ hundred books all because of his wonderful plan. Despite finding such a good lead, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that its contents would continue his so-far winning spree.

The blonde took a deep breath, the rapid beating of his heart causing his hands to tremble as he reached towards the cover.

 _Here goes nothing._

* * *

 **Library of Alexander - History and Mythology Hallway**

As he opened the book and began reading the contents, he noticed the text itself was relatively easy to see despite being written with some weird wriggly lines that _kind_ of resembled writing. The first couple pages had the table of contents and notes from what seemed to be the author, followed by pages similar to a picture book - where one page would have a drawing illustrating the text written on the other.

 _Oh? What's this?_ After skimming through about twenty pages, Benjin pulled the book closer, his brow furrowing in curiosity.

 _Within the mountain ranges of Northern Ishgar, lays the holy monastery built in the name of the Light God, Solarin. Thousands of his followers all visit the temple on the day of the sun's creation. It is said that once day every year, the Light God enters the mortal realm through his temple to give his blessings to the world below. All men and women travel up the precarious mountain paths to bring offerings and to pray for longer days and shorter nights._

 _Solarin?_ Benjin, with mouth agape, lifted his pendant out of his robe. _This… somehow ties to him?_ The boy's thoughts moved a mile a second as the next couple pages explained different rituals and traditions conducted by these followers. There was nothing worth noting until he reached the final pages - it was a section labeled 'The Great Cataclysm.' which had multiple blank pages after its chapter label.

 _Wait what?_ Benjin darted his eyes back and forth the page, hoping to find _some_ sort of secret. _Is this seriously all blank… put something cool sounding like 'The Great Cataclysm' and just write NOTHING._ The boy turned the pages more and more aggressively, until finally finding the next set of text. _Ah ha!_

 _The skies were filled with winged beasts that threatened all of Earthland. Before the order of the sun was founded, the followers of Solarin came to the temple in hopes of finding sanctuary from the countless monsters that filled the skies. They prayed to their god as they themselves were preyed upon. The beasts began fighting against each other, causing great destruction upon all the lands. It would be years before the skies itself parted and the entire world became filled with grand lights and creatures thought to only exist in myth. However, nothing was compared to the great black beast whom wrecked havoc to all of creation. This being was known as-_

Blank. _WHAT?!_ Where's the rest of the section? Did the author go on indefinite hiatus? _Who the hell wrote this freaking book?_ Random cliff hangers, lack of info and with pages looking like it was dipped in a pool of tea for ages! Not only that, it was the _last_ word. What the crap was this oh so 'great black beast?'

If _this_ was a joke, then it was not funny at all. _Wait._ Benjin narrowed his eyes, his eyes focused on some… _weirder_ sections of the book. What if there were certain spells that prevented parts from being read? Maybe the sections he read was only available because the book was so… _old._ Yes, maybe that's it.

With a book conspiracy fresh in his thoughts, Benjin began to pace back and forth while thinking of a way to find out what's written in the blank pages.

 _Great Cataclysm…_ He paced some more. _Temple of Solarin…_ Another few laps of the hallway _, that's_ when he widened his eyes in realization. The book had said there was a temple that resided somewhere in Northern Ishgar! There was a slight chance that the mountain ranges mentioned in the book was close by! What if the pull itself was from the temple? If that was indeed true, then that would explain the connection to his pendant!

 _Everything is coming together!_

Before he left for a new adventure, he once again sensed for all the books emitting auras. _These should be some interesting reads._ With his chain spell, he dragged each and every one onto the ground, then put every single one into his storage.

 _I'm sure the librarian wouldn't mind if I checked out some books… indefinitely._ The boy chuckled to himself, only to feel a prick - one sharper than before, on his arm _. Oh, come on! I just want to read them not learn how to blow up the world or something!_ Scoffing Benjin, began walking back towards the entrance. _Freaking cunt of a library._

"OW!" Benjin rubbed his head after feeling yet _another_ prick.

As he walked out of the section he was in, he took a gander at the other end of the library wing, only to see shelves that were identical to the ones he was reading from. To his surprise, in the center of the room, sat the same figure he saw when he was coming in.

 _He's still here?_ Reading the same freaking book too!

Giving a glance to the boy, who was completely mesmerized with the book he was reading, the blonde left for the entrance, a destination in his mind.

* * *

As he neared the opulent brown doors leading to and from the library, Benjin noticed that Velvet was doing some weird dance as she sorted books around the area _. Weird…_

Now, Benjin was in the same stone path that he walked through earlier that day. His pendant was still spazzing out with the direction and he didn't see _another_ giant structure besides the library. _Hmm, how do I go upon this?_

The blonde sat down cross-legged in thought, his eyes darting around the area as he fondled with his pendant. _What if I… yes, that could work!_

Benjin smiled confidently. His pendant had always had some sort of 'passive' aura; _but_ what if he traced it? Used his senses, his eyes, and everything else to _find_ it! Then, he might have been able to figure out a direction, then repeat the process until he's in the dead center! _Just like a magical compass!_

Benjin took a deep breath, assuming a lotus position while holding his pendant just before the path on the lake. Focusing his magic on the pull, he looked _inward_.

His eyes were closed. Nothing except blackness and a myriad of stars were in his sight. _Nothing… perhaps if I did this._ The boy turned his head around, trying to focus his sight on the aura without missing any direction. _Wait, what's that!_ Benjin could see a dim light, not unlike the moon in the night sky, directly behind where the library was, towards the vertical cliff face in the background.

Smiling, the boy stood up and opened his eyes, causing the dim light to fade away from his sight. _He_ had a direction now, and he won't let his search be for nothing!

* * *

Benjin stood in front of the vertical rock face that towered over the gargantuan library. It was intimidating, _that's_ for sure. The whole thing was near vertical and it looked like there was a lot of moss growing on the sharp edges making up the cliff. Regardless, this was _not_ enough to stop him from trying!

Covering his entire body in a golden aura, he gradually compressed it into a sharper fitting form. _Gods I love light-make._ Once the aura calmed, Benjin willed his magic into constructs of long, sharp claws on his limbs. With his newfound appendages, he leaped hands first at the mountain, digging into the rock with his make-shift claws as if it were foam. Ascending inch by inch; the climbing quickly became so routine that his mind began trailing elsewhere.

 _Oh boy, this is so exciting!_

An anxious grin made its way onto his face as his heart raced in anticipation. He was so busy imagining the temple that he didn't realize that he already made it to the top. Without anything but air to grab on he completely missed the rock face and slammed his chin on the edge. _ARHWKJH!_

"Ow…" Rubbing his face, be boy groggily got to his feet; he looked forward see a flat plateau that covered the majority of the cliff tops. Eyes widening in shock, the boy looked around in confusion, completely forgetting the pain on his face. _There's absolutely NOTHING here?!_

There was _supposed_ to be a grand golden temple to be perched in front of him! Yet, all he saw were just rocks, rocks and _… whoa is that a tree?_ How could this be? This is a hunk of garbage! _I can STILL feel the pull, so ther MUST be something here_!

Benjin frantically searched, running from area to area, hoping to find something of resemblance to a temple. When he passed a certain spot on the plateau, he felt something… weird. _Did the pull just get weaker for a second?_ Wait. If the pull became weaker, that meant he must have ran right over his source! Which meant, there had to be a temple somewhere here! Benjin retraced his steps, hunting for anything that could stand out from a field of natural stone structures. _What the hell am I even doing?_ Benjin stomped back and forth in circle. _Unless the temple is invisible there is nothing here!_

Perhaps the temple actually _was_ hidden by a spell or something! If the pull was here that meant there was something causing the attraction. Even if he could not see, hear, touch, or smell it, it _had_ to be here. So where? Where would someone hide an entire temple? Benjin's eyes darted to the stone ground he stood upon. _UNDERNEATH?!_

That was the _only_ place someone could hide a structure potentially as large as the library. The mountain was _more_ than big enough to fit it, so the only issue of that, is _how?_ How will he get in, _if_ it even exists? Maybe he could blast the mountain away until something cool happens… never mind that's dumb. Although when all else fails he might as well give _that_ a try.

Maybe whatever was calling to him would react to his aura? If he shot his magic downwards it could make the temple do something cool and teleport him in or something!

 _Okay, before that, I gotta find the 'sweet spot.'_

Walking around for what seemed like hours, Benjin finally found the single point where the aura felt the strongest. He could take a step left, right, forwards, or backwards, and the call would feel _slightly_ weaker. That means whatever is making his pendant to the thing, it _had_ to be directly below!

Bringing one knee to the ground, Benjin touched his palm to the stone floor. He wasn't going to screw around just to realize he didn't use enough magic, the only way was to go all out in one blast, all or nothing.

 _Here goes!_

As Benjin began accessing more and more of his power, his aura flared with more intensity with every passing breath. The ground beneath him rumbled in response while rocks and debris closest to him were pushed away. Cracks formed around his feet as his magic exploded outwards in a golden spherical wave, before halting and retracting.

 _Come on, please work!_

Taking all the power he released, he forced it into the mountainous 'sweet spot;' His aura dissipated while the stone plateau became saturated with a dim glow.

It was then, the mountain shook with far more force than before - Benjin took this as a sign to stop his magic while he waited for something to happen. Hundreds of symbols suddenly sprouted out with him as the epicentre, forming a golden magic circle that encompassed most of the area around him. It then dissipated as fast as it emerged, causing the stone floor to shift - revealing an aged staircase leading into the mountain interior.

"YES!" Benjin pumped his fist over and over again as he did his victory dance right in front of the stair case. _I feel untouchable!_

Benjin descended the stairs with haste, using his magic to form a small torch for light. The boy felt a bead of sweat drop from his brows. _Wow, that took a lot out of me…_ Continuing down the stairs, he kept his torch dim to conserve the little bit of magic he still had.

 _The hallway… it's getting larger?_ True to that, with each and every step, the space became wider. After what seemed to be another hundred set of stairs, an irritated scowl easily made its way on the twelve-year-old's face. _Screw this, I'm running!_ Instead of walking down patiently like a _normal_ person, the impatient boy began skipping four or more steps with every stride.

Benjin increased his pace even more, taking one huge leap skipping ten steps in total. Bad Idea. The boy looked down, seeing a section of the staircase completely empty of steps. A _very_ bad idea.

 _OH SHI-_

"AAAHHH - HHH - AAH" he shouted angrily as he began tumbling down the stairs, flipping back and forth before finally splattering on the bottom.

 _Auuuugghhhh… OW!_ Benjin hastily picked himself up from the dirty stone. _What is today even. S_ tanding up with a grimace, he began examining himself to see if he broke anything. Ok _ay arms are good._ The boy tapped his legs a couple times. _legs too, hands no problem, feet hurt like hell but nothing major, my face is probably a mess because I can feel stuff flowing down my chin._

Everything was fine… somewhat, which meant it was time to continue! Summoning his torch, the boy continued down the dark hallways. Not a minute later, he was met by a massive marble pillar, one filled to the brim with carvings, that could put the ones at the library to shame. Benjin pumped more magic into his torch to reveal an entire circle of pillars, all with different symbols and designs etched all over the surface. The boy narrowed his eyes at the sight. _Everything… looks completely new!_

Continuing on with great interest, he made towards the center of the pillar circle. On the ground, there were circular carvings that _almost_ resembled the magic circle that let him in earlier; in the middle, however, was a small pedestal which seemingly had a visible aura.

Benjin could feel his hands making its way to his pendant; this time taking it out, instinctively placing it on the pedestal.

No reaction.

"…"

There were no great quakes or giant magic circles or even giant flashes of light. The pendant just… sat there. _Please don't tell me I came all this way for nothing…_

Maybe he was being impatient? It had only been a minute since he placed his pendant and it was possible that the temple is experiencing some sort of lag. Suddenly, the aura from the pedestal began flickering at an increasing pace.

 _Yes!_

Benjin smirked to himself, before scowling mere moments later. _Okay pedestal you can stop now this flashing is getting annoying._

It would be another couple seconds before the flickering ceased. Almost immediately, the silence that followed was interrupted by a brilliant flash that consumed the entire room.

 _What?!_ Benjin frantically began reaching around, trying to feel the pillars and structures, but to no avail.

He could not see or hear. It was as if existence itself blanked out. There was no ground under his feet, and it felt as if his senses… just vanished. The boy could only turn back and forth in fear as the all-encompassing light blotted out everything else in his sight.

Eventually, the light died down to reveal a dim room that was ethereal by nature. Benjin lifted his leg and began tapping the ground around him, making sure that he wouldn't randomly fall through the floor. Around him, he noticed that particles of light flowed around freely like fireflies. Small orbs gently hovered above him as the particles seemed to converge together.

The sight nearly made him forget his fear; his eyes followed each orb, mesmerized by the sight. It was as if he was in a completely different dimension.

 _Just… where is this?!_

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice revealed a long-bearded old man wearing bright priest clothing. As Benjin turned towards the man, he came face to face with golden eyes that stared back at him. _There's something… familiar about him._ He was sure he had never seen this person in his life, but there was just _something_ about him. _Wait… NO WAY._

Benjin widened his eyes in realization, the identity of the man coming to him.

"Dad?" He began walking towards the figure, his body trembling. "How are you here? I thought you were dead!" Anger began surfacing. Anger from his dad leaving his mother to die, from leaving _him._ Benjin's face contorted, his eyes furrowing as he bore his teeth. Despite his sneer, the boy couldn't contain the emptiness from attacking him in his moment of vulnerability. _I really thought you were dead…_

Despite never actually seeing him pass away, he always had a gut feeling that his dad didn't make it. Yet, he was here! Could he have been alive this whole time? Why didn't he come back! Why did he choose now to appear! Once again, the rage boiled from the boy, his aura becoming visible, all while affecting the flow of particles around the room.

The old man simply shook his head in reply.

"I am not dead, nor am I alive." What was the start of a betrayal was frozen by uncertainty. _Not dead or alive?_ What did that even mean? Whatever the figure _… - no it was his father -_ in front of him was, he sure sounded like his dad. All the dumb lectures would always end with some weird whimsical riddle about life. But what does that even mean!

"What is this place? What is even not dead or alive? Is this a dream?" _Why did you come now?!_

"In simple terms, we are in limbo… or at least, a part of it." Limbo? Wait, wasn't that this invisible world connected by dreams? It _actually_ exists?! Did that mean he still existed outside of this place? How did dad even bring him here? Was this just another room in the temple?

 _Argh I'm so confused!_

His father began to speak, "The reason why I brought you here is because there were things, I did not have the chance to tell you when I was still alive." He looked in Benjin's eyes, who stared back with unease.

 _Things… to tell me?_

'Seijin' nodded, as if reading his mind. "For eleven years, I watched you grow. I never told you who you truly were." Who he truly was? Wait, the symbol, the feeling, the temple… _Solarin_. All the things he experienced recently, all of them could only happen to someone who had connections to those things. And the only way that could be is… Benjin's thoughts trailed off as he widened his eyes in realization, yet still refusing to believe what the signs pointed to.

"I believed that you could live a life away from my burdens, but it appears that I was wrong." The bearded man slumped in sadness, before staring straight into Benjin's eyes. Sighing, his dad took a long breath.

"To start, my name is not just Seijin Solarus. In the past, I was known as… Solarin." Benjin froze, his eyes becoming bloodshot as his face scrunched in anger.

The feeling in his core came true. The library, the temple, limbo, most of all… the pendant. Confusion plastered itself onto Benjin's face _. Light God… How_ could he have died back then? If he _was_ so strong, why did he die. WHY DID HE LEAVE?!

Within his rage, Benjin's body began trembling in fear from the _truth_ of his father's words. _If he was so strong, and he died…_ What sort of monstrosity could have possibly killed a god! A being that was supposed to be the _strongest._

 _Wait, does this make me… a demigod? That's pretty coo- WAIT. Why was he so bloody weak?_ Benjin thought of his mom, his friend, and _himself._ The boy slumped forwards, eyes drooping to the floor.

 _I'm so pathetic._

His father looked at Benjin with sympathy, before he felt a hand on his head, patting it gently. The boy managed to meet his father's eyes, seeing a _far_ more brilliant shade of gold that have always stared back in a mirror.

"Why… did you leave me?" He always wanted to be strong _. Strong boys don't cry_ … At least, that's what he told himself. He _can't_ be a crybaby because _,_ what could crybabies do _? Nothing._ He tried and tried, holding back the tears that was due for years. Despite his effort, it was for naught as cascading drops flowed down his cheeks.

Betrayal, anger, confusion, and _loneliness_. Benjin felt all these emotions bombarding him; the world around him beginning to darken as his lost more and more of his strength. Yet, it was as if the light never left.

Two powerful arms embraced him, snapping him out of his sorrowful daze.

"My son… I am truly sorry, for not being able to be with you or your mother." Benjin squeezed his eyes together, forcing more and more tears to flow, his expression calming from the warming touch of his father. "I hate how I would not have the chance to see you grow into a young man… I am so-"

"Shut up…" the boy shrugged off his father's arms to his surprise, all while managing a smile through the drying tears. He couldn't _truly_ be angry _. I know my father!_ He knew that whatever happened, his father would _never_ abandon them, not willingly. He hated himself for being weak, he hated himself for not being able to save his mom, and he hated the people that took the people he loved away… but he could _never_ hate his dad.

"I'm good now, you old _shit_." His father looked like he grew a second head from the 'insult,' before erupting into a booming laughter. Benjin stared at his cackling father in confusion, before laughing himself. _Why am I laughing?!_

It's not like what he said was _that_ funny.

As Solarin, or _Seijin,_ or _his dad… or whatever_ calmed, his previously jovial expression was replaced with sternness.

"Listen, I wish I could spend more time with you, I _truly_ do… but my time here is limited, and there are things I _have_ to tell you." _What?_ Benjin stared intently at his dad, his entire focus on his next words.

His father, seeing the boy's reactions, took a deep, long breath before beginning. "In all the centuries of my life, I have watched Earthland from above. Despite their differences, the men and women lived in peace, but then… the _war_ came."

 _The war? What is the 'war?'_

"Never before did something on that _sheer_ scale occur in all of history. We've left scars on the land that will never truly heal." Benjin scrunched in confusion.

"Wait, what does this have to do with _me?_ " It was a legitimate question. Some war that happened hundreds of years ago… why was it important to _him?_ Benjin continued to meet his father's gaze, only to shy away from the power and authority carried in his stare.

"Let me finish, and you will know." The boy could do nothing but nod.

"The war was the _first_ of many events that would lead to me," His father gestured to Benjin. "To you." _The war?_ What could have _possibly_ happened for _that_ to happen?!

"Now, allow me to tell you, what would become the greatest tragedy for the history of _all_ gods." Benjin gulped, his heart quickening in anticipation.

 _Tragedy…_

.

.

.

 **Chapter 6 finished! Next Chapter: A Land before time**

 **Check out my other stories!**

 **[Rise of the Light Bringer]**

 **[Chef Ramsay]**

 **[A God's Redemption]**

 **[A Hero's Becoming]**

 **[The Noble World]**

 **[Minipa's Trope Discussion and How to not Suck Shit at Writing]**

 **[Minipa's Trope Discussion and How to not Suck Shit at Writing - BNHA]**

 **Check out my Youtube Channel: Panda Inspirations!**

 **Minipa, out!**


	6. CH6 - How it all Began

**Chapter 6 - How it all Began**

"Shut up…" the boy shrugged off his father's arms to his surprise, all while managing a smile through the drying tears. He couldn't _truly_ be angry _. I know my father!_ He knew that whatever happened, his father would _never_ abandon them, not willingly. He hated himself for being weak, he hated himself for not being able to save his mom, and he hated the people that took the people he loved away… but he could _never_ hate his dad.

"I'm good now, you old _shit_." His father looked like he grew a second head from the 'insult,' before erupting into a booming laughter. Benjin stared at his cackling father in confusion, before laughing himself. _Why am I laughing?!_

It's not like what he said was _that_ funny.

As Solarin, or _Seijin,_ or _his dad… or whatever_ calmed, his previously jovial expression was replaced with sternness.

"Listen, I wish I could spend more time with you, I _truly_ do… but my time here is limited, and there are things I _have_ to tell you." _What?_ Benjin stared intently at his dad, his entire focus on his next words.

His father, seeing the boy's reactions, took a deep, long breath before beginning. "In all the centuries of my life, I have watched Earthland from above. Despite their differences, the men and women lived in peace, but then… the _war_ came."

 _The war? What is the 'war?'_

"Never before did something on that _sheer_ scale occur in all of history. We've left scars on the land that will never truly heal." Benjin scrunched in confusion.

"Wait, what does this have to do with _me?_ " It was a legitimate question. Some war that happened hundreds of years ago… why was it important to _him?_ Benjin continued to meet his father's gaze, only to shy away from the power and authority carried in his stare.

"Let me finish, and you will know." The boy could do nothing but nod.

"The war was the _first_ of many events that would lead to me," His father gestured to Benjin. "To you." _The war?_ What could have _possibly_ happened for _that_ to happen?!

"Now, allow me to tell you, what would become the greatest tragedy for the history of _all._ " Benjin gulped, his heart quickening in anticipation.

 _Tragedy…_

* * *

 **Roughly 400 Years Ago, The Realm of Heaven**

Among a field of clouds, multiple peaks of white mountains could be seen while waterfalls cascaded freely down to the plains below. Among the largest of the mountains stood a golden palace that hovered right above the peaks. This was the palace of Empyrean, home to the Lord of the High Heavens.

The palace itself was lined with beautiful ornate structures. A beautiful fence that surrounded its edges came together to form a gate towering above its surroundings. It is within this, that all the gods residing in heaven would gather together for the first time in history.

 **"Everyone is accounted for my lord,"** an angel with twelve golden wings addressed the being sitting at the end of a rectangular table in the middle of a circular hall. This was Sirius - the archangel. The greatest of his kind after Solarin ascended to become the Light God. He stood as Solarin's right hand, sworn to serve his will.

Around him, sat many gods whom called Heaven their homes.

 **Aquos,** the Goddess of the Oceans.

 **Staterius** , the God of Order.

 **Ventus** , the God of Wind.

 **Ventia** , the Goddess of the Skies.

 **Kemokemo** , the God of Nature

 **Stellia** , the Goddess of the Stars.

 **Vitius** , the God of Life.

 **"It's a shame that that Kaguya could no longer join us,"** An angel, one who wore silver armour while bearing translucent wings on his back closed his eyes. This was Vitius, The God of Life.

Kaguya was once the Goddess of Creation - her and Vitius once spent centuries creating the denizens that would later call Heaven and Earthland home. But ever since the creation of _that_ , she was never the same.

 **"What she has done is treason! To abandon us for the realm of Nether! She should be executed for her crimes!"** A heavily armoured figure exclaimed with righteous anger in his voice. Staterius, the God of Order was a strict enforcer of all the laws laid out by the council. He and his order did not show any mercy to those who would blatantly go against the will of Empyrean, often purging races that would dare to do so.

 **"Please Staterius,"** A soft timid voice spoke out. It came from Stellia, the Goddess of the Stars. She wore semi-transparent silk cloths that wrapped around her athletic form. An orb whose glow rivaled the ones in the night sky orbited around her. **"She did not leave by her own choice."**

 **"Indeed, we all know it was** _ **that**_ **blasphemous creation that caused her desertion,"** A white-haired man with cat ears spoke while narrowing his eyes. This was Ventus, The God of Wind.

 **"Big bro is right!"** A similar looking woman with white hair and cat years agreed while lifting a finger to emphasize her point. This was Ventia, younger sister of Ventus, and the Goddess of the Skies.

 **"Aii Aii!"** The voice of a small creature was heard. This was Kemokemo, God of Nature. He was a peculiar god; he took the form of a small flightless owl with a green heart shaped face.

 **"Free will or not, she holds secrets to the sanctity of heaven! She must be silenced!"** The God of Order was stubborn, he was dead set in his notion of absolute 'balance.' For any that oppose their will should and _will_ be silenced… if _he_ had anything to say about it.

 **"That's going too far, Staterius,"** Ventus stood up from his chair, slamming his hands on the table they gathered around. Despite having the power to destroy continents, many gods were either immature or biased. This was especially true among the younger deities.

The armoured rose to meet the younger's challenge, his hand reaching towards the spear resting on his back. **"How do we know that YOU are not corrupt-"**

 **"That's Enough."** A voice filled with authority and finality interrupted. The gods turned to the voice and saw that it was spoken by the lord of the heavens himself. Solarin wore bright golden robes while carrying a staff of the same colours, topped with his symbol - a circle containing a simple cross, the sun circle. A long white beard covered to his chest while and a head of platinum blonde hair reached to his shoulders.

 **"I called upon you all to discuss matters of great importance. I will not tolerate such childish behaviour,"** The god glanced around his council, " **understood?"** Solarin's booming voice was laced with divine pressure that leaked with every word. Despite addressing other gods, Solarin was no doubt the most powerful. Even the most stubborn of lords held the utmost respect for him and his position.

His words were met by silence. A bead of sweat visible on the wind siblings and all around, the gods took formal postures, looking at Solarin with undivided attention. Once the leader was sure he had their undivided attention, he began.

 **"As you all know, the Dragons had been very bold in their advances within Earthland."** Solarin's words caused many nods and words of confirmation to come from around him. **"We have held our aggression, believing that the mortals were capable of solving this issue… however,"** Solarin narrowed his eyes, elevating the tension in the atmosphere. " **That is** _ **not**_ **the case."**

Vitius struck the table with great force, cracking where his fist met. **"Untold millions have already been taken by those** _ **beasts**_ **!"** The race of dragons as a whole was not revered by any of the gods. They were viewed as savages created from corruption. Beings that held no regard to life and only existed to satiate their _primal_ desires… often at the expense of everything else. **"We** _ **cannot**_ **let them continue as the-"**

 **"Um… Do I really have to be here?"** The voice of a young woman turned the heads of the other gods. It was a blue-haired mermaid wearing thin cloth that glittered like the oceans on her upper body. This was Arrieta, the Goddess of the Oceans. She did not look too interested in this meeting, considering most of the time she spent swimming endlessly in the mortal realm and occasionally attempt to… _learn_ about human men.

Sighing while pinching the bridge of his nose, Solarin gave a stern glare at the uncooperative mermaid. **"Yes, it is** _ **all**_ **of our responsibilities as divine beings to keep the balance of the realms,"** the younger goddess quickly snapped to a better posture. **"If the creatures of the Nether refuse to stop, how do we know that they will be satisfied with** _ **just**_ **Earthland?** _ **"**_ His voice was met with different reactions, the unspoken statement hanging in the air.

 **"An attack on heaven? Preposterous! I will personally** _ **exterminate**_ **their entire race!"** Staterius was easy to anger, if not held back, he would likely follow up his claim as he was the second most powerful god - right after Solarin. Even the most powerful of the dragons, that they knew of, would only _match_ the weaker gods, but only _just._

 **"I am sure it will never come to that. However, this aggression by the dragons cannot be ignored. While it is possible that Pandemonium was involved, we must not act rashly until we know more."** Solarin was wise, if anyone had the right to call himself an elder god, then it was he. For he understood the standings between the realms and the ever-rising tensions between the Nether and the Heavens. The dragons _must_ be stopped but they cannot afford to instigate conflict. _The lands will not survive one._ Solarin put his fingers together, using them to hold his chin while narrowing his eyes.

 _Blind vengeance in the name of balance will only bring destruction._

 **"I intend to pay Nemesis a visit regarding the recent events. I need all of you to mobilize your forces; I want eyes and ears for** _ **all**_ **the happenings of Earthland. "** The gods acted in shock, many gasping and some widening their eyes.

 **"You are to go alone? But what if they…"** Stellia looked down in sadness as she spoke. The star goddess was _too_ kind for her own good; she cared for the lives of the mortals as if they were her own. Solarin was definitely powerful, but was he able to stand against the forces of an entire realm?

 **"Stellia."** Solarin gave a reassuring smile. **"I'll be fine.** " Despite the dislike of each other shared by both sides, neither wanted to risk an all-out war - this would bring destruction to not just Earthland but _all_ realms.

 **"Sirius,"** Solarin turned to the angel that stood behind him.

 **"Yes, my lord,"** The twelve-winged bowed to his lord.

 **"I want you to tell Uriel to look for leads closer to the Nether."** Solarin was confident of Uriel's abilities. Even if she not the most powerful, she was the stealthiest. She could escape even the detection of the gods; topped with impressive speed, she was the ideal choice of espionage.

 **"Understood,"** The angel put a palm to his collarbone, signifying a salute. Without another word, he flew out of an open balcony to carry out Solarin's orders.

Looking back to the gods, Solarin glanced at each of them before continuing, **"Is everyone clear of what they are to do?"** Solarin was sure the gods understood. Despite some of their personalities, they were competent and intelligent. _Even then, I sometimes have my own doubts._

 **"Sure, whatever."**

 **"Understood, my lord."**

 **"I will complete the task to the best of my ability."**

 **"What my brother said!"**

 **"I will quell any insurrections without fail."**

 **"I will do my best!"**

 **"AYE!"**

Each of the gods answered in their own way. Despite quarrels that appear from time to time, he was happy with who his allies were. Perhaps he would even call them… his _friends_.

No matter, he had to prepare; despite his own strength, going alone into the heart of enemy territory was dangerous. However, the meeting with Nemesis was inevitable. There had to be a way for the dragons to cease their aggression, even if he had to do so with underhanded tactics.

For _all's_ sake, he wished that it will _never_ come to it.

* * *

The trip to the nether would be a lengthy one. Earthland was connected to both realms through many weak points in between dimensions. It was impossible to simply walk from one realm to another _but,_ anything with a shred of true power could easily force open a portal at these points.

Travel between the Nether and the Heavens was a different story; the only method to travel without alerting the entire realm of his presence was through a small space that joined the tips of Heaven and the Nether.

 _The Realm of the Celestials._

As Solarin began to fly towards the end of Heaven, he began mentally preparing himself. He had to be subtle, indirect. From what he remembered of Nemesis; he would take anything as an excuse for war. But why did he not strike now? Solarin furrowed his brows. If Nemesis had the strength, he would have attacked regardless of what he said. _So why?_ Nevermind that, he knew that if he said the wrong words, it could spark a conflict that neither side could afford to have. The creatures of Earthland was not a personal concern, but it was his _duty_ to protect them in the name of balance.

* * *

The entrance from Heaven to the Celestial Realm was a sight to behold. It was a dark-blue sphere surrounded by endlessly flowing currents of translucent light. Each wave of energy dissipated into the distance, all while emitting a low humming noise. Solarin stopped his flight in front of the sphere, then gently floated through the dimensional crossing

Instead of cloudless skies with an everlasting day, the Celestial Realm had an everlasting night. Stars and many other cosmic bodies blanketed the skies above. Luminous structures created from starlight decorated the space. He had not been to Stellia's home many times, but every time he did, he would be mesmerized by its beauty.

 _Perhaps he would visit Caelestus before making his way to the Nether?_ It was courtesy to exchange pleasantries when passing through his realm after all. Solarin gently floated towards a rainbow-stone path sitting on top of a cosmic sphere. He wanted to admire the scenery, but he remembered that time passed by slower in this realm. Taking to the air once again, Solarin quickly flew towards the central palace.

As he reached the castle like structure, he noted that most of the pillars were transparent. He knew however, that this was simply the exterior design. Despite looking that way, the buildings throughout out the Celestial Realm were indeed solid. Entering a long hallway decorated by statues of every shape and size, his gaze fell on the red-carpet road leading towards the hall.

Inside, a large mustached figure rested on a large throne.

 **"Greetings, Caelestus,"** Solarin addressed the Spirit King, who stood from thrones to his full height. Caelestus wore full body plate armour with a long-tattered cape reaching down to his calves. He had a helmet with thick curved horns where a star rested on his forehead.

Raising both of his palms in a welcoming manner, the Spirit King responded, **"It's been a while since your last visit, old friend."** The hulking figure walked with his fists closed at his sides. When the distance was closed, the two deities stared at each other in silence.

 **"150 YEARS!"** Caelestus opened his arms for a hug, a wide smile on his face. **"It has been way too long!"** Solarin put both of his hands up as he deadpanned at the other god.

 **"Indeed, but really there's no need for-"** He was cut off as his friend picked him up and began squeezing him into a bear hug. Solarin was having his breath squeezed out of him by the much larger deity. A handshake was more than enough, there really was no need to for this much… _enthusiasm._

The Spirit King let loose a loud booming laughter that echoed throughout the palace. **"How's Heaven? Has my daughter been good to you?"**

Panting in relief from Caelestus' relaxed grip, Solarin responded, **"Yes, yes. Stellia has been a very great help lately despite things being a little… tense."**

Nodding in understanding, the Spirit King let the smaller God go and began stroking his mustache. **"Its Nemesis isn't it,"** the larger god gave a gander at the crossing between his realm and the Nether, before scowling. _**"**_ **It's** _ **always**_ **Nemesis."**

Solarin hardened his expression. **"Yes and no. The dragons from the nether have been showing aggression in Earthland… I suspect he was somehow behind this."** Although he did not have any proof, he believed that the dragons wouldn't one day decide to invade Earthland in numbers without some sort of motivation, one that could have been easily provided by their lord.

Looking down on his friend, the Spirit King put on a small frown. **"Am I right to assume you are planning on going to the Nether alone?"** Out of all the gods in heaven, he was the only one strong enough to venture into enemy territory and make it out alive. If he took others with him, they will simply become liabilities.

 **"Unfortunately, yes."** Solarin looked up to Caelestus. **"I am the only one capable,"** the light god narrowed his eyes at the portal leading to the nether.

The spirit king sighed. **"I wish I could help you…"** The Spirit King's eyes wandered to the floor, **"but I cannot leave this realm on my own will."** He too, turned his gaze to the portal that seemed to ooze with energy. **"I hope you know what you're doing, Solarin."** Due to nature of celestial spirits, he himself could not leave the realm physically unless he was summoned by an awakened celestial spirit wizard - and the only one that fit the description had already passed away.

 **"If not anything else, I and the others shall pray for you."** Solarin smiled.

Prayers to gods were not just words. Regardless of who they were, prayers gave gods the tiniest fractions of power. Sometimes _that_ will be the difference between success and failure.

 **"Thank you, my friend,"** he said as he made his way towards the portal resting outside the palace garden. He could see the area surrounded by spirit warriors all guarding the portal.

 **"Farewell."** Solarin could see his friend putting a hand to his collarbone - the universal salute for those sided with Heaven.

Nodding in response, he stepped through the portal.

 _Till we meet again._

* * *

 **Entrance of the realm of Nether**

Solarin stood amongst a plane of darkness and fire. Behind was the portal he entered through the Celestial Spirit Realm. In front, laid endless reaches of rocky peaks, pools of magma, and lifeless forests filled with darkness.

 _I am not very fond of this place…_

Taking a deep breath, Solarin flew past the empty valleys towards Pandemonium. Despite being one of the most powerful beings in existence, Solarin himself, was weary of this place. Nemesis knew that very few dared to even come to his realm, for that reason alone, there were _zero_ guards.

The Nether, while seemingly bleak and _demonic_ in nature, there were certain valleys and landscapes that could have been mistaken for Earthland… had he not known for sure. He could feel the tainted energy all around him. If not for his divinity, the corruption from the oppressive air would have already began attacking him.

Soon, the edge of a large lava pool came into view. In the heart of what seemed to be rings made completely of magma, laid the palace built with grey stone.

 _Pandemonium…_

 **Inside the Palace**

A large figure sat on a throne that seemed to be forged by tens of thousands of swords, skulls, and bodies of the fallen. To his right sat a demon with flames constantly dancing around his skin and to his left sat a grotesque demon, sporting dozens if not hundreds of horns.

Letting a wicked smile adorn his face, the center figure spoke with a low rumble. **"It seems… that the Lord of the Heavens has decided to pay us a visit."** A chuckle escaped his voice. **"Let us give him a warm welcome."**

* * *

The heat around the palace was enough to even make _him_ sweat. For someone who co-created the sun to feel _hot_ was impressive. Despite his dislikes of demons, Solarin had to admit they were _very_ thorough with passive defences.

 _No doubt they already know I'm here… so why is there no reaction?_

Solarin narrowed his eyes. If he was walking into an ambush… what then? If Nemesis gathered the great three, he would be hard pressed to escape. _No, I cannot doubt now!_ Shaking his head, the light god advanced, taking in the sight, hideous and magnificent as he flew.

Unlike his own palace, Pandemonium was far greater in size was seemingly impenetrable from the exterior. Great spiked walls of Nether stone lined the outer edges as guard towers extended into the darkened sky. A glittering arch gate of gargantuan proportions rested on top of a platform covered to the brim with lacrimas.

 _All of those, are cannons?!_

There was no sign of aggression from the portal all the way to here; either Nemesis truly did not intend to attack him, or it was simply to lure him into a false sense of security. Either way, he _had_ to speak with him. If not for duty, then for his _own_ peace of mind.

 _Nemesis… just what are you up to?_

The interior was the exact opposite of what the outside appearance would suggest. Beautiful chandeliers lined the ceilings while a opulent hall extended from the entrance all the way to the back. On the outer lays of the room, a balcony surrounded it on all sides with church like seats for spectators. With the way the room was laid out, it was almost as if… it was a _stadium._

 _Typical._

 **"It has been too long… Solarin."** A wave of shadows, seemingly out of nowhere, materialized from the in front of the Light God.

The black smoke converged together to form a figure of black; easily the size of the spirit king while a potent black aura danced around him. Serrated black horns stemmed from his head and curved in such a way that it resembled a helm. A full suit of ebony armour covered his form; two pupilless eyes stared at the light god with hostility… _and interest._

Solarin scoffed at his welcoming. **"Not long enough, Nemesis,"** Despite him being the embodiment of darkness and his polar opposite, Solarin respected his rival as the dark god held power nearly equal to his own.

Letting loose a dark chuckle that echoed through the entire hall, Nemesis put up his hands in mock offense. **"Oh? Is this how you speak to someone that welcomed you with open arms?"** The much larger god began pacing in a circle around the smaller. **"I could have made your life very…** _ **difficult**_ **when you arrived."**

True to that statement, Nemesis was someone who operated in the shadows; his movements could only be speculated and even the other gods could not sense him if he didn't want to be found. Which bid the question, what could he _possibly_ be thinking? It was Solarin's wish to put an end to this charade of mystery. Even so, he had to cautious, yet firm enough to not show weakness.

 **"Enough games,"** Solarin spoke with finality. **"I'm sure you know why I came here."** The light god flared his aura to emphasize his tone.

Emitting his own aura, Nemesis put a hand behind his back, the other mockingly gesturing towards Solarin. **"And** _ **what**_ **could that possibly be?"** Solarin glared in response, causing the dark god to chuckle. **"Humour me."**

Sighing deeply, the Light God crossed his arms. **"The Dragons."** His words caused Nemesis to look towards him with interest. **"They are overstepping their boundaries… recall them at once!** " Nemesis' booming laughter once again filled the halls.

 **"Dragons are a** _ **primitive**_ **species, they are unlike us Gods, or perhaps even demons or angels… whatever those** _ **lizards**_ **are doing in Earthland, was not of my will."**

Solarin intensified his glare. Considering the nature of the dragon race, it was indeed within the realm of possibilities for them to act on their own accord… but why? Despite his rivalry with Nemesis, he dealt with him enough to know that he was not the type to outright lie. Half-truths yes, but not lie. The other god said it was not the result of _his_ actions that the dragons were present in Earthland; however, it was _very_ possible that other gods residing in the Nether may have influenced the dragons.

 _Which means if someone like Diablo ordered it… Nemesis could have purposely played the fool._

Or perhaps, it was the dragons themselves that decided on attacking in force. The majority of their race were barbaric and incapable of intelligent thought, at least above their own instinct. However, it was well known that there were several dragons with the potential or on the verge of ascending into godhood despite their primitive nature. It was very possible that one of these dragons rallied the others together without any manipulation from the dark gods.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Solarin relaxed his form and spoke. **"Very well…"** It was an extremely thin ice they had between the Heaven and Nether, whether or not Nemesis had urged the dragons to attack did not matter. He did not wish for war to erupt between the two realms. The light god gave an observing glance to his rival.

 _I can only pray that you wish for the same._

Exiting his thoughts, his expression morphed to one of sternness. **"I do not intend to allow the Dragons to decimate the balance between life on Earthland. I must demand your inaction when** _ **we**_ **force them away from Earthland."**

Nemesis narrowed his eyes at his words, before flaring his own aura. **"I'm afraid I can't do that."** Solarin gritted his teeth at the response, anger and frustration began welling up in his as he prepared himself for the next words he would hear. **"Dragons. Primitive or intelligent, are creatures of the Nether. Savage or beastly, I** _ **cannot**_ **allow you to attack those under my rule."**

Solarin could do nothing but seethe in anger from his statement; he knew what it meant if he were to do anything against the dragons. Damn him! Damn him to the voids itself! If Nemesis acted upon his threat, all the realms would suffer if he attacked the dragons. What was he to do? He was the Lord of Empyrean! Yet, he could do nothing, lest he waged war.

 _This was what you intended the whole time…_ Solarin widened his bloodshot eyes. _Curse you, NEMESIS._

The two god's powerful auras filled the entire castle. The floor rumbled as cracks began stemming around them.

A battle right here would be at Solarin's disadvantage; he could not afford to fight the entire forces of Nether by himself. Not only that, if he were to be slain here, the heavens would retaliate, and all of _this_ would be for naught.

Breathing deeply, Solarin began to calm himself, relaxing his aura, which Nemesis returned in gesture.

 **"That is all I had to ask. Thank you for meeting me, I shall be on my way,"** Despite his calm words, great anger threatened to erupt at any moment. Self-control was all the only thing preventing the deaths of further untold millions, and he would be damned if something this stupid sparked an incident.

 **"Perhaps…"** A soft chuckle escaped the dark god's maw. **"The next time you visit, we could have a drink, just like old times."**

Giving one last glare to his rival, Solarin left through where he came, and flew towards the heavens.

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 6 finished! Next Chapter: Tensions rise, spark of conflict is lit!**

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	7. CH7 - The Spark of Conflict

**Chapter 7 - The Spark of Conflict**

Solarin could do nothing but seethe in anger from his statement; he knew what it meant if he were to do anything against the dragons. Damn him! Damn him to the voids itself! If Nemesis acted upon his threat, all the realms would suffer if he attacked the dragons. What was he to do? He was the Lord of Empyrean! Yet, he could do nothing, lest he waged war.

 _This was what you intended the whole time…_ Solarin widened his bloodshot eyes. _Curse you, NEMESIS._

The two god's powerful auras filled the entire castle. The floor rumbled as cracks began stemming around them.

A battle right here would be at Solarin's disadvantage; he could not afford to fight the entire forces of Nether by himself. Not only that, if he were to be slain here, the heavens would retaliate, and all of _this_ would be for naught.

Breathing deeply, Solarin began to calm himself, relaxing his aura, which Nemesis returned in gesture.

 **"That is all I had to ask. Thank you for meeting me, I shall be on my way,"** Despite his calm words, great anger threatened to erupt at any moment. Self-control was all the only thing preventing the deaths of further untold millions, and he would be damned if something this stupid sparked an incident.

 **"Perhaps…"** A soft chuckle escaped the dark god's maw. **"The next time you visit, we could have a drink, just like old times."**

Giving one last glare to his rival, Solarin left through where he came, and flew towards the heavens.

* * *

 **Gates of Empyrean - Heaven**

Solarin returned to the heavens by travelling through the Celestial Realm once again. Despite the safety of his return; he was in a sour mood. The visit to the Nether did not accomplish anything he had wished for and he was no closer to finding a solution for the dragons.

Making his way towards the palace of Empyrean, he could not help but think about the condition of Earthland's inhabitants. To his knowledge, the presence of dragons in Earthland have been continuing for decades. It was only recently that their advances were brought to the attention of heaven.

 _There MUST be some way the dragons could be pushed back without resorting to force!_

As soon as he entered the grand hall, he could see Sirius, standing in front of the entrance as he normally did. **"My lord, you have returned!"** Solarin narrowed his eyes; did he think otherwise?

 **"Of course."**

 **"I'm assuming the meeting didn't go as planned?** " Solarin nodded his head in response. When he departed for the nether, most if not all the gods and angels already expected Nemesis to refuse his demands. They simply wished for the off chance they would be allowed to take care of the pest problem without repercussions.

 **"Did you hear?"** Sirius asked the Light God. **"The Divine Dragon of Cataclysm was observed to be slain… by two humans."** Solarin widened his eyes at the news.

The Unholy Dragon - **Morgana** , was one of the most powerful dragons in existence; it could have challenged Aquos on equal grounds, and likely win. Not only that; it was rumoured to be the beloved of the Shadow Dragon King - Skiadrum. If Morgana was indeed slain, it would no doubt incite hatred and desire of vengeance in the dragon that lead the attack on Earthland.

Gritting his teeth, Solarin shot a distant glare to direction of Earthland. _Damn! If the dragons begin a crusade of vengeance…we would be forced to fight._ This was a troublesome decision. If Solarin were to strike the dragons, Nemesis would no doubt execute his threat. All-out war was something he desperately wanted to avoid… but the rising threat of genocide could not be ignored.

 _Nemesis KNEW I don't want this… but I know, that it will happen regardless of my actions._

Whatever was going to happen; Solarin knew they had to be ready. The heavens, angels, the gods themselves all have to prepare for the inevitable bloodshed that drew near.

 **"Sirius… send word to all inhabitants of Heaven, I want** _ **all**_ **of them to mobilize for war."**

Shocked at the Light God's proclamation, the head angel responded, **"Of course my Lord! It shall be done at once!"** There was no delay between his words and his departure.

Solarin looked towards the direction of the gate that joined the Heavens and Earthland; a dreaded feeling overcame him as he prepared for the worst.

 _The realms…_ his eyes drooped towards the ground as his shoulders slumped forwards. _Will_ _ **bleed.**_

* * *

 **Mortal Realm, Hours prior**

A dragon of titanic proportions blocked the sun with its great shadow. It had hundreds, if not thousands of spikes covering its form. With a long barbed-tail and massive grey wings, it held itself in the air, preparing to attack. It opened its mouth - revealing multiple rows of serrated teeth.

This was the Morgana - The Unholy Dragon; it had absorbed so much corrupted energy from the Nether that it neared its ascension to a dark god. Its adversary was but two men; one wore a simple toga and sported a full tuft of pink hair while the other only wore a pair of armoured shorts while bearing long scraggy blue hair.

 **"ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR,"** the dragon let loose a devastating blast of brilliant white energy, etched with a blood-red outline. The two men took to the air with their magic to direct its aim away from the ground below. They knew that any attack that struck would no doubt cause irreparable damage to the land. Normally, this would not be an issue; however, they fought above a small village home that stood alone on a hill. Inside, lived a black-haired woman with three boys. Where their appearances reflected their fathers.

"Damn it! Why is this dragon attacking us?" the toga-wearing wizard asked as he prepared a spell.

"Why else! The dragons have been attacking villages all over the land, killing and eating whoever they felt like!" the other replied while charging a spell of his own.

The massive beam curved towards them, the sheer strength of the attack distorting the air around it.

"Severing Void!" The pink-haired wizard erected a massive translucent shield to intercept the blast. The titanic beam of energy was stopped by the shield; although with great effort from the wizard. Fortunately, its angle of impact was high enough to ricochet the roar into the sky - protecting them from harm… for now.

The dragon gave off an angry screech, before flying at great speeds towards the men. "Damn it, Kairos! Is your spell ready!" His blue-haired comrade focused in silence.

"…"

Moments later, Kairos put both of his hands together with only his index and middle finger sticking out on his top hand. His body pulsed with power and his magic gathered into his spell.

"Be judged by the seven stars… Grand Chariot!" Seven magic circles, each rivaling the size of the dragon, emerged from the skies above. Great orbs of light shot down at blinding speeds towards it in the formation of the big dipper. Despite the efforts of their enemy to evade his spell, it was struck by two of the orbs - painfully knocking it towards the ground.

 _Something that size won't fall from that spell._ Kairos held his guard as the dragon righted itself in air and resumed its charge. There were visible burn marks on the dragons back; however, no injury that could weaken its strength could be seen.

A great shock wave suddenly emitted from behind the dragon, pushing it towards the two surprised mages. Within a fraction of a second, it was already in front of them with a powerful claw swipe. Even with attempts at pumping magic into the points of impact, both mages were pushed back in different directions. _Augh!_ Kairos flinched as a large gash bled on his midsection while his friend had a long laceration all the way down his right arm.

"Merlin! We got to take this beast down quick! A prolonged battle will spell certain death!" Merlin responded by flying towards Kairos, stopping right beside him while the dragon turned to face them.

"It's easier said than done!" The pinked-haired wizard began drawing symbols to activate a combination spell. "Your spell could have annihilated a mountain and it barely did _anything_!"

 **"You shall pay for your insolence, humans,"** the dragon spat out the last word with venom. I-i-it spoke!? They were supposed to be savage beasts that could not comprehend complex thought. No dragon that has ever appeared to humans ever talked or shown intelligent behaviour - they simply fought, killed, and ate.

As Kairos looked towards his friend, he began to recognize the symbols he was frantically drawing.

 _That's…_

His eyes widened; Merlin was not intending to hold back; his nigh-undodgeable spell could weaken the dragon enough for him to pierce its scale with his own attack - Supernova. This meant that he had to divert attention from the dragon… _somehow._

"Why are you doing this? What have humans ever done to you?" Kairos hoped to get the dragon to monologue while his friend continued to draw the symbols. _Every_ second he could gain was a huge boon.

A low grumble escaped the dragons muzzle. **"Humans are only food, their sole purpose for existing is to provide us with sustenance."** A red aura surrounded its form, the skies themselves becoming dark red from the its sheer presence.

 **"Humans who hold power to rival the dragons… is to DENY THE NATURAL ORDER."** A great roar filled the skies as the ever increasingly aura saturated the air, causing hurricane level gusts of wind to race around them. **"That is why, I shall eliminate any human that dare to believe themselves our equal!"** Kairos could do nothing but panic as the dragon charged him.

 _I have to do this… Merlin cannot cast any other spell when he's preparing the spell!_

"Meteor!" He took off towards the dragon in a burst of inhuman speed.

"Orion!" he shouted as a magic circle appeared and disappeared in front of him. Hundreds of small orbs materialized in the air around them. In an instant, they all turned into individual beams before converging towards the dragon.

It shrieked in pain as the beams of light once again gave it multiple burns on its body; however, it did nothing to stop its charge. "Tch, tough bastard," Kairos scoffed, preparing another spell while evading _just_ out of the dragon's attack range with meteor.

The dragon roared; this time its mighty beam splitting off into multiple smaller ones, all of them homing towards Merlin. Kairos widened his eyes. _Shit!_ The blue-haired mage immediately flew in front of Merlin, his hands glowing in power as he canceled his current spell to prepare another.

 _I can't cast it in time, I have to block it!_

Gritting his teeth, veins bulged from every inch of his body from exertion, as magic pumped to every limb.

Time slowed for the blue-haired mage as the beams converged towards him; he could feel the heat being emitted from every single one. Destructive magic was a dangerous think, the mere presence of it began stabbing him like a thousand needles. Closing his eyes, Kairos steeled his will and prepared himself for the impact. _He MUST survive this blow._ Merlin's spell neared completion and their efforts would have been useless if he could not land the finishing strike.

"Bring it on, Dragon," he whispered defiantly as he was struck. Every cell erupted in pain; all his instincts screamed for him to run, but he _knew_ he had to remain strong.

Soon, the strength in his body continued to fade away as near-fatal burns covered his arms, legs, and chest. Just as quickly the attack came, it dissipated without a trace. The mage's clothing had all been burnt away, his flesh was discoloured in so many places it looked as if he was born from multiple bodies. Not only that, his magic was nearly empty. If he were to cast his spell now… Kairos slumped forward _. Then I wouldn't see the sun the next day._

Kairos turned towards his friend, sensing the spell reach its completion.

 _Merlin… give this dragon hell._

A deafening sound of a bell rumbled all around them. Hundreds of magic circles of all sizes and colours emerged from the air. An aura no mortal should possess erupted from Merlin's form, shrouding him in magic potent enough to distort the surrounding air. An ethereal white glow radiated from his eyes as a cloak of unfamiliar designs materialized onto his shoulders.

 **"May the Gods have mercy on your soul… for I shall not.** " His voice, layered off multiple times with inhuman pitches, roared across the landscape while all the magic circles converged into one of pure white, covering the skies above. " **True Magic: Primordial Creation**!"

The magic circle instantly dissipated, leaving the dragon to look around, waiting for something to occur. As nothing continued to happen, the dragon let loose a taunting laughter towards the two mages.

 **"IS THAT ALL?"** the dragon arrogantly shouted. It was so caught up in its own thoughts that it never bothered to take caution in Merlin's spell. A spell that took hundreds, if not thousands of symbols to prepare - and upon activation, magic circles littered the skies all around. It saw no danger after. Its own arrogance clouded the dragon's judgement. Despite its instincts screaming to defend itself, it simply left itself open, completely oblivious.

Kairos smiled confidently. _No, not at all._

The world shook, the air swirled, the skies darkened, and the mountains crumbled in the wake of Merlin's spell. Forests began growing towards the dragon, great boulders separated itself from the ground and massive lakes emerged from the horizon.

The true magic was a fickle spell; every single symbol had to be drawn perfectly, otherwise the elements would not attack in unison. Magic strength and control of the highest caliber was the bare minimum of requirements when casting this spell; for Merlin to be able to cast it to this extent was a feat that could be compared to nothing short of the gods themselves.

The Dragon could only look in confusion as the world seem to converge around it; great boulders smashed into it from the ground and lightning shot down on its back. Oceans and lake kept it from escaping and thousands of trees converged to bind it in place. The barrage continued for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was over within a minute.

For the first time in the battle, the two mages drew blood… _lots_ of blood.

As the spell ended, Merlin's transformation followed; he fell towards the ground, completely exhausting his magic and mind. Fortunately, he was caught by the arms of his comrade. "K-Ka-Kairos. Finish him… now." With that final request, Merlin fell, unconscious.

The blue-haired mage put his friend gently on the ground, all while giving the dragon a fierce glare. It was laying inside a crater, writing in pain. Despite the damage, Kairos knew that it would recover shortly; he _must_ finish it off before it had the chance.

 _This is it… my final stand._

Kairos began concentrating the final traces of his magic into a condensed mass of power. Despite its size being no larger than his own head, the pressure emitted from the spherical construct was undeniable. He could only hope that their efforts would be enough to silence the dragon.

"True Heavenly Body Magic: Supernova!" A grand magic circle emerged in front of him; followed by a concentrated beam of starlight that blasted towards the weakened dragon. Shock waves radiated from Kairos' body as more and more magic passed through the spell.

A great blinding light filled the entire landscape; an explosion that could have been seen beyond the horizon erupted from the point of impact. The dragon was strong, _immensely_ so. But against _this_ magnitude of power, not even _it_ could stand a chance.

As the light died down, the dragon's mutilated body rested in the middle of a crater deepened to the point that it could fit entire mountains while still having room to spare. Kairos was in horrible shape; his entire body covered in third degree burns and his legs threatened to give out at anyone moment from the strain he exerted on himself.

"Did… we do it?" Merlin choked out as he tried to lift his head, only to have it fall back down on the floor.

"W-we can only hope." Kairos responded as he himself fell to the floor.

 **"How** _ **dare**_ **you."** _No! It COULDN'T have been standing!_ **"You dare do this… to ME? I, Morgana. THE DRAGON OF CATACLYSM,"** the dragon bellowed as it tried to lift itself up, only to slam back down in a shower of blood and bones. **"If I fall… I will take, the both of you… ALONG WITH ME!"** A bright glow covered its body, magic converging towards its maw.

Morgana will die on this very day. However, it will not leave without letting the world feel its dying breath.

 **"ROARRRRR-AAA-OARRRR."** an inhuman half-roar half-screech emitted from the dragon, letting loose an unstable beam of energy towards the weakened mages.

The two wizards were not in their right state of minds as they neared death. They did not fear it, but they welcomed it. Even though they would fall this very day, they ensured that what they fought for could live on… or so they _thought_.

Merlin widened his eyes in horror as he turned its head towards the opposite direction of where the dragon was aiming.

 _No…_

He looked into the window of the house he lived in for the majority of his life to see three little figures looking towards him.

 _No!_

Everything they fought for, all the pain they went through. If their sons did not survive, it would have been _pointless_.

 _ **"NO!"**_ he let out an anguished scream as he looked back towards the dragon with blood shot eyes. The beam was nowhere near as powerful as it could have been; however, the two wizards could not even stand, let alone block it.

As the dragon's breath tore through the land, Merlin and Kairos felt no pain from it. They could only close their eyes in regret for they failed to protect what they fought so hard for.

 _Some Dinner party this turned out to be…_

…

It was this day, that Morgana - The Unholy Dragon of Cataclysm, fell to two human mages.

It was this day, that Merlin Dragneel and Kairos Fernandez - The Greatest Wizards of their time, fell to the power of a dragon.

…

As the blast dissipated, the entire house was in ruins; the walls caved in, the roof fell and all the furniture inside was flung all around. The most notable scene, however, was the presence of an unmoving black-haired woman surrounded by disappearing seals of magic while covering her arms around three children. They were unconscious, but if one looked close enough, one would see the steady rise and fall of their tiny chests.

* * *

 **Pandemonium - Throne Room**

 **"Oh? It seems that the dragon Morgana, has been slain. By humans no less!"** A low voice rumbled throughout the entire hall.

 **"Yesssss. Masssster,"** confirmed a snake like demon, this was the great Basilisk - leader of the demon serpents in the Nether.

A loud resounding laughter boomed across the entire castle.

 **"The death of Skiadrum's mate is but an opportunity!"** the dark god stood up from his throne. **"The Heavens and Nether has existed in a standstill for centuries!"** He began to pace around the hall. **"The fuse of conflict has been set all over the world… and I shall be the one to ignite it."** A vicious smile burst through his visage.

Nemesis ruled over all darkness, whether it be the shadows cast or traces of corruption that existed in the hearts of even the purest beings. He only needed to plant the seeds of discord, and the drums of war shall play. However, all-out war was something that he could not simply wage from a whim. Despite the power of heaven, he was confident that victory would be attainable if he forced the Heavens to fight not only the Nether, but the ever-growing force of dragons as well.

 **"Grimorius!"** A winged demon appeared from a nearby window, summoned by his master's call.

 **"Send word to all the inhabitants of the Nether, war is coming, and I want all to be armed!"** The demon gave a grunt in response and flew off to spread the command. Nemesis would wait for the perfect moment, then his armies of the condemned will pour into Earthland.

Chuckling to himself, Nemesis felt pride and excitement for the days ahead. For once he had completed the task of urging the dragons to war, Solarin would no doubt come to the Nether once again.

And when he does, he shall have a small… _surprise_ for him.

* * *

 **Palace of Empyrean - Heaven**

In the throne of Empyrean, sat a frustrated Solarin. He had watched the dragons decimate the population of Earthland for the past year… yet, he chose to not take any action _even_ after the long process of preparing a fully trained attack force. The hesitance to elevating the war to unseen heights kept him from giving the order. Even when he _knew_ war was inevitable, he did not want history to write him as the instigator.

Rubbing his temples to prevent a headache, Solarin began pacing around the throne room with his hands crossed behind his back.

 _This cannot continue. Perhaps if I talk to him one last time… I'll be able to make him see reason._ As he sat, he continued to watch the devastation through a translucent portal in the middle of the room. There had to be _something_ he could do! Anything that was enough to stop their incessant fighting would require great force… and that would surely be responded in kind by the dark gods.

 _I already know they will invade… so WHY AM I SO HESISTANT?!_

The god gritted his teeth as veins bulged from his neck. A fist slammed into the rectangular table, splintering it. Solarin found himself breathing heavily while his aura cracked the reinforced stone underneath. _DAMN IT ALL!_

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a powerful aura that emerged from the great divide, the largest natural connector between heaven and Earthland.

 _A Dragon?_

Solarin furrowed his brows, feeling the draconic energy saturating the surroundings. He could sense that his angels had already intercepted the intruder, yet it was still advancing with great speed. Solarin flew to meet the interloper, only to see it restrained by his angels with hundreds of light chains. Despite their efforts, the dragon still held enough strength to swing its captors back and forth the sky, causing the light god to narrow his eyes. _It's strong._

 **"Why have you come, Dragon?"** Solarin questioned the struggling dragon, moving forward to meet its eyes.

The dragon immediately did its best to turn towards the voice, straining against the bonds. By Solarin's gesture, the angels released their bindings, allowing the dragon its freedom. **"Please! I seek council with the lord of heaven!"**

Narrowing his eyes at the dragon, Solarin took slight offense at the disrespect from not being recognized. However, he calmed himself and spoke firmly and clearly, **"I am Solarin, Lord of Heaven."** The dragon widened its eyes at his declaration.

With a voice filled with desperation and haste, Weissologia pleaded, **"You have to help us! The anti-human faction is gaining more ground every second! We no longer have any options in pushing them back… we need aid, please!"** Oh? Anti-human faction? The white dragon in front of him must be part of the opposition that sought to protect the creatures of Earthland. He shall overlook its disrespect… _for now._

He did not intend to tell the dragon of the stalemate between the Heavens and the Nether; if it didn't know already, he would not be giving out information _. Anti or pro-human, a dragon is a dragon._ **"I'm afraid… the heavens will be unable to lend their aid."** Solarin looked at the dragon with a hard expression; who opened its jaw to protest. **"If that is all you came for, then take your leave. My angels shall escort you to the divide."**

The dragon gritted his teeth in anger, Solarin could see its claws clenched into fists. **"Aren't you supposed to be Gods!"** It roared in desperate anger. **"If the war is lost…** _ **all**_ **the creatures will suffer! I thought Gods were supposed to protect the bal-"**

 **"SILENCE!"** the dragon was interrupted by an explosion of power and a commanding voice that bellowed all around the area. Solarin's eyes glowed with power; his pressure assaulting the dragon, making it more and more difficult to breathe, let alone stay afloat.

 **"You know NOTHING of what it means to be a god! You have overstayed your welcome.** _ **Dragon**_ **."** Venom was laced on the final word. **"Now leave. Before I make you."**

The dragon was powerful, undeniably one of the most powerful dragons in existence; but it knew where it stood against the current most powerful entity in all three realms. It reluctantly retreated towards the great divide, followed by the angels that surrounded him.

Solarin had an epiphany after the aggravated conversation with the beast. His mind thinking back to the words spoken to him by the dragon.

 _If the war is lost, all the creatures of Earthland will suffer…_

It couldn't have been closer to the truth. Perhaps, one more visit to Nemesis… It was _definitely_ stupid. If he went, he might be ambushed right before an invasion, and the heavens would have lost their ruler. But… if there was even the _slightest_ of chances, he'll have to take it.

 _No more games… Nemesis._

* * *

 **Pandemonium - The Realm of the Nether**

Nemesis remained seated in his throne of metal and bones. He sensed the presence of a certain light god, causing a low booming laughter to echo throughout the halls. Looking at a demon to his right, Nemesis questioned, **"Diablo, are the armies prepared?"**

Diablo was a grotesque demon that ascended to become the God of Sin. He was the personification of all that is evil and corrupt. With a disgusting smirk on his face, Diablo responded, **"All the forces of Nether are ready for war."**

 **"Perfect."** Nemesis once again erupted in laughter, this timed joined by his right hand.

 _The time for blood is nigh!_

* * *

It wasn't long until Solarin literally burst through the doors into the throne room to meet his rival - aura flaring, causing cracks on the floor.

 **"Nemesis,"** the light god spat through gritted teeth. **"Enough is enough! The dragons have decimated Earthland and all its creatures, I will not stand by to see them destroyed!"** Solarin did well to reign his anger; he knew that if he released too much of his aura, Nemesis might mistake it for a pre-emptive strike. However, he had to let him know he was not here to exchange pleasantries. _Not this time._

The much larger god paced towards Solarin with a maniacal grin. **"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk… you do realize what it means if you descend don't you?"** Nemesis questioned rhetorically, knowing full well that there was nothing either of them could say to stop the war between gods.

 **"Whether you allow it or not. I will aid in the destruction of the aggressors!"**

Chuckling darkly, Nemesis snapped his fingers, causing two demons to appear in the room with a familiar figure in chains.

 _Uriel?!_

Solarin widened his eyes, shocked to his core to see one of his most beloved followers in such a state. He saw that her clothes were ripped and tattered, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her entire form was soaked with blood and he saw that her wings were ripped from her back. It was obvious that she was also… _defiled._

The light god's eyes went completely bloodshot, he tightened his fist until his knuckles went white, **"** _ **WHAT**_ **is the meaning of THIS!"**

Nemesis walked slowly towards the near-death angel, sending a jolt of darkness to wake her up with pain. **"We caught a little bird snooping around the Nether you see. We had to rough her up a little, but I made sure that the Incubi made her stay… pleasurable to say the last."**

The angel looked up weakly to meet her eyes with Solarin. **"I'm sorry… my lord** …" With every word she spoke, a tear choked through the weakness in her voice. A flame emerged from the bottom of the light god's stomach, every fiber of his being desired vengeance for the cruelty he had witnessed. However, there was nothing that could compare with Nemesis' next actions.

 **"I knew that war was already inevitable the moment I refused to force back the dragons."** Nemesis began pulsing power into Uriel once again to cause more pain, eliciting an agonizing wail.

 **"I grow sick and tired of this charade that you and I always play… this stand-off was boring, you know?"** Nemesis' voice grew more and more excited and threatening. **"I thought… what if there was a world where all the three realms,** _ **was**_ **the Nether. I** _ **knew**_ **that I could not just wage war on a whim as victory was not guaranteed."** He conjured a large sword from shadows, power permeating the throne room with its radiating darkness.

 **"But I thought - Dragons. They are the most powerful creatures besides the gods. If I could strengthen their numbers and make them fight… perhaps I would be able to pull a decisive victory.**

 _"Morgana…the unholy dragon…was ssssslain"_

… **then the perfect opportunity presented itself, manipulating the darkness within the hearts of those beasts could be done with a simple wave of my hand."** Nemesis gestured, emphasizing his point. **"Now… I did say we could have a drink just like the old times the last time you came, didn't I?"** A shadowed glow ran down his blade as he raised his weapon.

 **"This is a favourite shared by many demons,"** the lord of the Nether began, a distorting laughter resounding from his form.

 **"BLOOD!"** proclaiming the final word with a maniacal grin, Nemesis bisected the helpless Uriel vertically with one clean swipe, her blood spilling all over the ground in front of Solarin.

Solarin could do nothing but stare in silence. His eyes trembling from the pure, unadulterated rage boiling to the surface. There was no going back now…the armies of Heaven and Nether would clash with Earthland as their battleground.

 _This… I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!_

 **"You…"** Solarin glared with such ferocity it could have annihilated the souls of weaker beings. **"WILL REGRET THIS,** _ **NEMESIS."**_ The light god spat the name of his rival with so much distain that some of the observing demons felt pain.

The lord of heaven turned away, taking the mutilated body of his follower before dashing out of the palace.

 **"I will allow you to leave unharmed, Solarin. However, the next time we meet, there will be no such courtesies,"** the ruler of the Nether threatened, no… _promised_.

 **Fields of Heaven - Outside Empyrean**

His presence was met by the Life God - Vitius, who stared at the body he carried in great shock. **"My Lord… is that-"**

 **"Yes."** Solarin gave Vitius a hardened glare. **"Let all of the heavens know: war has come, and the gods… SHALL DESCEND,"** his voiced boomed across the air and his power exploding in a massive golden pillar that could have been felt even in other realms. All his efforts to prevent an all-out war was for naught.

No matter what, there _will_ be blood.

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 7 finished! Next Chapter: The realm bleeds!**

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	8. CH8 - The War of Heaven and Earth

**Chapter 8 - The War of Heaven and Earth**

 **"This is a favourite shared by many demons,"** the lord of the Nether began, a distorting laughter resounding from his form.

 **"BLOOD!"** proclaiming the final word with a maniacal grin, Nemesis bisected the helpless Uriel vertically with one clean swipe, her blood spilling all over the ground in front of Solarin.

Solarin could do nothing but stare in silence. His eyes trembling from the pure, unadulterated rage boiling to the surface. There was no going back now…the armies of Heaven and Nether would clash with Earthland as their battleground.

 _This… I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!_

 **"You…"** Solarin glared with such ferocity it could have annihilated the souls of weaker beings. **"WILL REGRET THIS,** _ **NEMESIS."**_ The light god spat the name of his rival with so much distain that some of the observing demons felt pain.

The lord of heaven turned away, taking the mutilated body of his follower before dashing out of the palace.

 **"I will allow you to leave unharmed, Solarin. However, the next time we meet, there will be no such courtesies,"** the ruler of the Nether threatened, no… _promised_.

...

 **Fields of Heaven - Outside Empyrean**

His presence was met by the Life God - Vitius, who stared at the body he carried in great shock. **"My Lord… is that-"**

 **"Yes."** Solarin gave Vitius a hardened glare. **"Let all of the heavens know: war has come, and the gods… SHALL DESCEND,"** his voiced boomed across the air and his power exploding in a massive golden pillar that could have been felt even in other realms. All his efforts to prevent an all-out war was for naught.

No matter what, there _will_ be blood.

* * *

 **Skies of Earthland - Somewhere outside the Great Divide - Year X392**

Outside the realm of heaven, in the entrance to Earthland, was a being clad in paladin style armour, followed by twelve other beings of equal stature with thousands of winged entities. The armies of heaven: angels, gods and all the races that lived in heaven answered the call to arms.

In formation, the army flew towards the entrance to Nether. Despite the entire force numbering just under ten thousand, each and every individual was capable of performing great feats of destruction.

 _All of these creatures that follow me…_ Solarin closed his eyes in acceptance. _Will not live to see the next day._

Solarin glared far into the distance towards their enemy, knowing that Nemesis awaited him with an army outnumbering his own. The aura emitting from the angered god poured out in waves in response to his will. Words could not describe the rage felt within the lord of Empyrean; he held his tongue and sheathed his sword, but for what? His inaction was in hopes of preventing all-out war. Yet, here he was, with all the gods of heaven followed by the creatures that called the realm their home.

Clenching his fists in anger, Solarin began taking deep breaths to calm his mind.

 _I can't let my anger cloud my judgement; all creation, whether it be angel or human, rely on me!_

Stopping mid air, Solarin turned with a hardened sternness befitting of someone with his stature. The army that followed slowly came to a halt in response to his action, all seemingly waiting for the light god to speak. Solarin materialized a glorious golden staff that emitted great power that seemed to eliminate all the surrounding shadow - even in places that light normally couldn't reach.

Raising it above his head, Solarin roared across the landscape.

 **"For decades, heaven has remained silent in response to the prayers for salvation. The realm of the Nether has forced our inaction, causing great atrocities to be committed against the mortals!"** A cheer erupted as many nodded their heads in agreement.

 **"Nemesis takes his army of the damned and marches towards us with an overwhelming force of corruption, with means to lay waste to the precarious balance that has held the realms in harmony! At all costs… he must be stopped!"** He swung his staff down, emphasizing his words.

 **"We have stayed our hands for too long! Nemesis has spat on the grace of Heaven, defiled one of our kind and repaid our mercy with blood!"** his statement caused his army to go silence, yet every single soldier looked towards him with unwavering resolve. **"No matter what happens… no matter how hard the rain falls, and how long the storm holds… eventually,** _ **all**_ **shall bow to the power of the sun!"** The light god's declaration reignited the cheers, this time louder than before.

" **We will not allow Nemesis to corrupt the realms gifted to us by our creators… the heavens shall descend upon Earthland and let** _ **all**_ **to know…"** Solarin raised a fist into the air, his aura extending outwards.

 **"THAT THE GODS HAVE ANSWERED THEIR PRAYERS!"** A chorus of cheers and battle cries once again erupted to the anxious forces of heaven. **"Now, those that answered my call… ONWARDS TO VICTORY!"** With a charge, Solarin flew away from the great divide, followed by all of his forces right behind him, a myriad of cheers and shouts filling the air.

 **"For Heaven!"**

 **"For Solarin!"**

 **"For Empyrean!"**

 **"For Freedom!"**

 **"For Hope!"**

Shouts of glory were heard all around him; his unwavering resolve mirrored by each and every individual that took up arms.

* * *

 **Skies of Earthland - Somewhere outside the Great Canyon - Bridge between Nether and Earth**

From the fires of nether, within the great mountains of dolor, poured out tens of thousands of creatures, each as grotesque and corrupt as the demons themselves. In the front, was a great hulking figure covered by spiked plate armor crafted from the most powerful of shadow irons - Umbratium. Behind him, followed seven creatures of equal stature where three bore great horns like a crown. One by one, the armies of darkness poured into Earthland, where each and every one was capable of great destruction.

Nemesis watched in excitement as he imagined his victory against the inhabitants of heaven and Earthland. There shall be no mercy to all that stood against him and his forces. The dark god knew that his rival would not surrender; the only way to truly become the victor of this war… was to take absolutely _no_ prisoners.

Despite that, he knew that a good portion of the dragons would no doubt take the side of heaven in the battles to come.

 _When they do, I'll slaughter them_ _ **without**_ _mercy._

Materializing his sword, Nemesis raised it above his head, his demonic voice rumbling across the landscape.

 **"Creatures of the Nether! We have lived in the fires and blood that stained our homeland while the creatures of other realms bathed in pleasures unbeknownst to us…"** the demonic voice rumbled across the landscape as an orchestra of roars filled the area.

 **"Solarin and his followers intend to stand in our conquest but… our forces shall reign supreme**!" Nemesis slashed his sword, causing a great amount of darkness to shoot into the sky, blotting out the sun for the shortest of moments **.**

 **"The scales of balance shall forever remain in our favour… for the shadows of conflict will rain upon the realms!"** The dark god raised his fists, eliciting a response so filled with bloodlust it could have choked a lesser being.

 **"It does not matter how powerful the light shines… for the greatest light casts the largest shadow. The fires of Nether exists within each and every one of you! Use that power and show our enemies the meaning of fear!"** he shouted, causing a symphony of anxious cries.

 **"The fuse of war is lit! The realms will bleed and the darkness of Nether shall forever blanket all of creation!"** His declaration was met with unbridled vengefulness in each and every one of his soldiers. **"Let death come to all who oppose us! Let the blood of angels stain the skies red! Let the fires of hell burn all that dare betray us… for the Nether will ascend from the depths of damnation, to let the world know…**

 **"THAT THE GODS HAVE COME TO CLAIM THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE,"** Nemesis proclaimed, causing the roars of his armies to get ever louder; roars of wyverns, cries of shades and bellows of his fellow gods erupted all around in a symphony of destruction that could be heard for miles. **"Now… my army of the damned, KILL THEM ALL,"** he flew towards the heavens, followed by the waves upon waves of tainted creatures right on his tail.

The skies bellowed with roars from creatures of every shape and size; some fought for glory and riches, some fought for power, but the demons… only sought _blood._

* * *

 **All over Earthland**

A farmer far east looked up in the sky to see gigantic monstrosities littering the sky.

…

Children playing outside a small village to the west stop to look at beautiful winged entities gracefully fly across the clouds.

…

Animals that rested peacefully in the forest could do nothing as they were preyed upon by the jaws of the damned. Forests were burnt to the ground and the living fell in despair as creatures unheard of even in their _deepest_ nightmares made their existence know.

…

"Mommy, what's that?" A small child questioned her mother, pointing towards the great horned creatures that headed the beasts of corruption.

The mother could do nothing but shake in fear; her mouth agape and her heartbeat erratic. "Come…here…sweetie, let's go to mommy's room okay?"

"Okay!"

…

* * *

 **With Solarin**

There was nothing that could describe the feeling felt by the Light God as he was flying his way through the Nether. The landscape around him blurred from one scene to another as he and his army tore through the skies. Suddenly, he saw five massive auras within a field of thousands.

 _Dragons? With humans?_

Solarin narrowed his eyes, his mind recalling their cruelty against Earthland's inhabitants. As he neared the settlement, he noticed the dragons picking up humans one by one before swallowing them whole. _Damn those savages!_ Angered, the God of Light rushed towards the scene, followed closely by his army.

In an instant, five condensed beams of light pierced the chest of every dragon, forcing them to drop any and all humans being held before gagging on their own blood. Solarin flew above the five dragons, eyes filled with contempt staring down the beasts who stared back in shock.

 **"Remember well, before the light fades from your eyes,"** his voice rumbled, a potent aura surrounding his form. **"That the judgement imparted upon you are the consequences of your actions."** The dragons all fell to the ground in a heap, eyes still wide from their sudden demise. Solarin observed their bodies, his thoughts trailing towards his… unexpected visitor.

 _These five had barely a fraction of the power held by the one that came into heaven…_

As soon as the dragons laid unmoving, a myriad of cheers and cries echoed throughout the air. Shouts of gratitude and happiness traveled to the skies as Solarin stared down at the ant-like figures far below him, focusing his hearing.

"Thank goodness… it's finally over," spoke a man dressed in ragged clothing stained with blood.

"Mommy? Are the monsters gone now?" A squeaky yet innocent voice reached the ears of her mother.

"Yes… yes they are." Tears of joy ran from her cheeks as the sorrow bottled within finally flowed free.

"The Gods… they _came_ ," spoke a bearded elderly man as he pointed towards the glowing figure in the sky.

Solarin descended to just above the houses within the village, catching the attention of the inhabitants below. **"Do not celebrate prematurely, mortals."** His voice rumbled, silencing all murmurs and gossips within the populace. **"For the battle is not yet won. Leave the village and hide yourselves if you wish to survive."**

"Please, may we have the name of our saviour?" Solarin looked towards the voice, seeing an old woman dressed in plain clothing.

The light god remained in silence, pondering about whether or not to reveal his name, before speaking. **"My name is Solarin, Lord of Heaven."** The moment he gave his name, he returned to his army waiting from above. Little did the God know, that his actions today will spur the creation of a group known as the followers of the sun.

Making his way towards his position at the head of the army, Solarin turned to face his followers. **"Nemesis draws near, prepare yourselves."** The creatures of heaven stood strong, their will unwavering, all the gods understanding the risks of battle… and the consequences should they _lose_. With a silent charge, Solarin accelerated towards the East, for the calm before the storm came to an end.

On opposite sides of the same realm, the lords of creation came together in the skies of Earth. One fought for conquest, and the other fought for balance. There would be no promises of glory, no parley, or exchange of words. This following battle would be remembered for ages, for it shall be _carved_ into the realm itself.

 _Faster._

Solarin accelerated towards the ocean of auras that rushed against him. He knew he was outnumbered; his only advantage was that he bolstered five more gods within his ranks. Nemesis, Diablo, and Embrius; the great three would doubtlessly be the spearhead of his enemies' charge.

 _Closer._

The two armies were in view of each other; bystanders freezing in awe to see the fields of light and darkness on the verge of clashing. To the humans below, the confrontation between the two armies were both beautiful, and terrifying. Beings of all shapes and sizes, each with enough power to reshape the land, flared their auras to shower the skies with a myriad of lights. The few dragons that watched from below in silence begun to realize, that with the entrance of the powers that ruled their realms, the final battle had begun.

Despite the dissonance of shouts and battle cries, Solarin heard a deafening silence as he led the charge against his adversary. Tens of kilometers were the gap between opposing forces; but to the greatest powers within the three realms, it was but a hair's width.

 **"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH,"** Solarin bellowed, his aura flaring to heights he had never reached before, his body convulsing with the sudden influx of power. The distance between him and his army widening as the God of Light charged forward.

 _War._

It was not something to be glorified. Yet, songs would no doubt be sung about the heroics of individuals on all sides. What did it mean to be a hero of war? To be memorialized on pedestals and texts; but for what? Genocide? Murder? It didn't matter. For history was whatever the victors would make of it.

 _Blood._

It was all he could see when their armies crashed together. Thousands of angels, demons, and creatures from all sides fell within seconds of the clash. Solarin himself was occupied with hundreds of beasts all swarming him; all lusting for the glory that came with taking his head. He could not turn to see the condition of his allies; as any distraction, hesitation, or misstep could lead to fatal injury.

The combatants of nether, coming in all shapes and sizes fell by the hundreds, their bodies burned by holy light or disintegrated by the power held within his staff. Auras all around him disappeared, whether it was the ones that followed him, or the ones that fought against him. Solarin knew that within minutes, the foot soldiers would all perish, leaving the generals to fight each other.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see fields of dots fly towards the battle from every direction, some being felled by each other in their charge. Each one had power that could rival if not surpass his own soldiers. Solarin widened his eyes; _Dragons._

 _Were they nearing a final confrontation as well?!_

Of course! Had Solarin won, there would have nothing to stop himself from purging every single dragon that terrorized Earthland. If Nemesis won, it would be the same for those that stood _with_ the humans. This battle would have decided their fates. Savage beasts as they were, they were _prideful._ If they were to die, then they would gamble _everything_.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Solarin held up his staff to protect himself from hundreds of coalescing spells. Damn! The already disadvantageous state of his army would be further emphasized by the new arrivals.

What if the newcomers were on the side of the dragon that once intruded heaven?

 _Would they fight with me? Or against me?_ If Solarin was resented due to his actions, then it was likely that the incoming dragons would form the third side in this war. No matter what, _everything_ will be decided in this single battle. No doubt untold millions would perish, but he had _hope._

 _Dragon, demon, angel, and human… could we one day, live in peace?_

Solarin snapped out of his futile thoughts as the new forces drew closer, dozens of sonic booms resounded all throughout the atmosphere. However, it did nothing to affect the fighting. It would be mere seconds before the impact, a four-way battle between the greatest collection of power seen since creation itself.

 _Five…_

Solarin began a countdown in his head, all while evading claws, swords, and streams of fire.

 _Four…_

The silhouettes increased in size; the shapes of their wings became visible. Widening his eyes, he reflexively moved his head to the side, out of the path of a condensed blade of black fire. A small singe appeared on his cheeks.

 _Three…_

He was confident all of his forces were prepared to defend against the newcomers. Now, he had to do his part in eliminating as many enemies as possible. Firing massive streams of light towards his foes, he incinerated dozens of demons instantaneously.

 _Two…_

He noticed his army, which once stood at over 10,000 strong, now sported just above half that number. Letting loose another powerful blast at the aggressors, Solarin burned another group of attackers to the ground.

 _One…_

His eyes darted to both charging forces; there was not enough time to differentiate friend from foe.

Solarin grunted in pain; in his momentary distraction, a stray demon was able to pierce his shoulder with a blackened spear. The light god looked at his attacker, only to widen his eyes as he came face to face with one of the great three.

 _Diablo…_

Jumping back while ripping the spear from his flesh, Solarin cauterized the wound with the light, allowing his natural healing to take affect.

 _Zero…_

Absolute chaos; _that_ was the only way he would describe the scene around him. Before, there was a clear line between enemy and ally. As soon as the dragons hit true, a cacophony of roars and screams resounded all around. Blood splattered from every side, fountains of red erupted towards the ground, dying it. Any of the combatants, holy and unholy, that were unable to recover from their own surprise were devoured without hesitation.

In just minutes, the total participants of this battle dwindled down to a quarter of its original strength.

Amidst the turmoil, gods and dragons found themselves in deadly duels. There was no longer the issue of being surrounded on all sides for a thousand became a hundred, a hundred became ten, and ten became one.

Solarin focused his senses, and saw a singular aura standing out amidst the sea of lights.

 _Nemesis…_

With no hesitation, he flew straight towards the aura of the greatest being within Pandemonium. When the battle first began, their entire army could have fitted within a sphere ten kilometers wide; now, the remaining forces were spread all over the land.

Landmasses sank into the ocean while the oceans itself evaporated as duels of conflict became desperate bids of survival.

Within the chaos however, _none_ would notice a predatory black dragon murder and absorb its own kind.

The distance between him and Nemesis, which stretched for more than a hundred kilometers, was bridged within moments. Solarin narrowed his eyes in disgust as Nemesis ripped off the wings of a brown dragon, before using his claws to crush its spine. Steeling his resolve, the lord of heaven charged at speeds that would make hypersonic travel seem like slow motion.

Solarin saw Nemesis turn to face him, a black aura rivaling his own exploded from his form. He launched a powerful fist towards the dark god, only to be met by an equally powerful elbow strike, causing a shock wave to radiate from the two beings, annihilating kilometers and kilometers of land. Gold eyes rose to meet the black in their exchange, their feelings shown to each other within the brief contact between them. With just one strike, the two gods understood. Regardless of how they were in the distant past, this battle would end when one of them ceased to exist.

Light and Dark rushed each other; thousands of kicks, punches, and maneuvers occurring within the span of seconds. The skies shifted back and forth from day to night as the opposing forces fought for dominance. Streams of shadow and brilliant flashes emitted from the two. Each stray spell being powerful enough to completely rearrange the landscape.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

In another side of the world, Vitius - The God of Life, was locked in a duel with Ankhseram - The God of Death. The spectral shade sapping the life out of the world itself as trees withered and regrew from the conflict between life and death.

…

Elsewhere, Diablo - The God of Sin, fought Staterius - The God of Order. Neither side gave in to the other; the only thought within their minds was how to kill their opponent. Shock waves emitted from their battle, reshaping the landscape and saturating it with their magic.

…

A Great Fire Dragon sporting a single scar on his chest faced Embrius - The God of Fire for the second time. There were no words or banter exchanged between them, for this was war. Blasts of flames erupted all around, both combatants pushing their wills to their limits to establish sovereignty on the fires that danced in the skies.

…

Within the uppermost reaches of the atmosphere, an ocean of thunder clouds rotated around Ventus - The God of Wind, Ventia - The Goddess of the Sky, and Susanoo - The God of Lightning. Winds that would shame even the most powerful of hurricanes screamed across the air, while herculean sparks of lightning filled the skies.

…

A dragon with pitch-black scales decorated by dull blue markings flew above an ocean with angel-like wings. Its adversary was Eris - The Goddess of Chaos. Despite their statures, both sides were equal in strength. Massive claws swiping the smaller goddess while great beams of blue energy bombarded the powerful scales of the dragon.

* * *

 **With Solarin**

Throughout his hundreds of years in existence, the God of Light had never had a battle this intense. Even if he _had_ fought with his fellow gods of heaven, he would have never pushed himself beyond this limits for the simple purpose of eliminating an opponent. His senses sharper, more acute than ever before; the blood boiling within his veins flowing quicker and quicker, while his bones shook with every strike exchanged with his rival. Despite the stakes of their battle, and the raw emotion spilled from their guts, Solarin was able to feel an unfamiliar euphoria arising from deep within.

For centuries, Solarin reigned himself in. Never feeling strong emotions for he believed that he could not be impartial to balance itself unless he himself was in balance. It was only recently, due to the events that transpired prior to the war, that he began feeling anger, sadness, hatred, and even fear. It wasn't fear for his life, for he knew that with his strength, there was only one being that could truly challenge him. Yet, the idea of not knowing what's to come, not being able to predict the rampaging change in this era, _that_ … was absolutely terrifying.

Solarin grunted as a powerful fist dug into his midsection. The air in his lungs escaped forcefully through his lips; his eyes reddening in shock as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Multiple sonic booms resounded across the skies as his body was launched from one continent to the other in mere moments; the landscape blurring from forests, oceans, deserts, all within a blink of an eye. Nemesis' armoured-clasp form chased him from the distance.

Using his magic to right himself, Solarin sent a powerful shock wave behind him, launching him to meet the dark god. It was right before their incoming clash that both sides felt an explosion of power. An aura resembling both a god's and a dragon's raised exponentially, peaking to heights even greater then their own before dying out completely.

 _What was that?_ That was the thought that lingered on both minds before they returned their focus to each other.

They continuously delivered devastating strikes to vital spots. Heart, kidney, liver, and spine. Each god endured hundreds if not thousands of strikes every second in hopes of winning their battle of attrition.

For the briefest of moments, time seemed to slow down as the debris surrounding the gods froze in mid air. Their fists traveling ever-so-slowly towards each other. One towards the jaw, and the other towards the chin. Solarin could perceive the instantaneous contact within fraction of a fraction of a second as his fist struck a bead of sweat that dripped from his bangs. His eyes stared into the blackened holes of Nemesis' helmet, causing feelings of centuries past to surface from the depths of his subconscious.

Despite his changeless exterior, Solarin felt sorrow grip into his angered heart. Doubt began to cloud his resolve; he began to reminisce to the time when he was but a mortal. An image of a black-haired boy flashed into existence beside the hulking mass that Nemesis had become **.**

 _What made us, so different?_

It was surreal; before he ruled the heavens, before he ascended, before he became an angel… he remembered the day their paths diverged.

 _We were shown the same love…_

He remembered his birth parents; they gave Nemesis and himself a life of comfort - away from the pains and tragedies that would come to befall them.

 _We shared the same pain_ **.**

An image of a huge infernal that burned down his first home came into his mind.

 _So why… did things turn out this way?_

Time began speeding up, he could see himself reflected from the lifeless eyes that stared back at him. Their fists struck true; the same pain once again shared by the two gods.

A massive shockwave radiated from the rulers of light and darkness, the space around them rippling from strength put into each strike. Their bodies rocketed away from each other, hurricane force winds surrounding them as they shot through the air. Resolve shaking and will melting; a lone tear fell from his weakened eyes.

Nemesis threatened to destroy the balance between the realms, therefore it was his _duty_ to stop him. Yet, he remembered of what he once was. A human, one filled with emotion, love, hatred, sadness, despair. The same emotions that bombarded his mind as he continued to soar through the skies.

 _Nemesis… if you win, would you be willing to end my life?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar power that once again erupted from beyond the horizon. The aura felt similar to the explosion that he felt seconds before; however, it was more complete. Its strength above both Nemesis' and his own. The light god snapped out of his daze, sadness replaced with shock, and despair replaced with fear.

 _What is this monstrosity?_

Within an instant, the massive presence began extinguishing hundreds of other auras. The doubt was still in his heart, but Solarin knew that whatever appeared would pose a far greater threat to the balance of the three realms. He looked back towards Nemesis in thought; if he were to leave and fight off the new enemy, would Nemesis take the chance to kill him?

Looking down, Solarin gritted his teeth, he had to decide, and he had to decide now. Giving one last glance towards his opposite, Solarin rocketed towards the new adversary. He wanted to have faith, that _even_ with differing ideologies, that Nemesis would defend the realm that he sacrificed so many to conquer.

* * *

 **Somewhere along the coast of the Southern Continent**

A great black dragon rampaged across the realm, obliterating all of creation. Angels, demons, dragons, everything that existed fell to the power of the divine beast. A single sweep of its powerful wings could create shock waves that rearranged the landscapes around it; its speed allowing it to move unseen to all but the most trained eyes.

Within seconds, the beast of apocalypse annihilated thousands of creatures regardless of their side, for its allegiance was towards no one but itself. Its breath turned lands into oceans and oceans into craters as the water evaporated from its sheer might.

Its power was unlike anything since the era of the Primordials; it surpassed even the _greatest_ of gods.

* * *

 **Conclusions of Duels between gods and dragons - moments prior to Acnologia's awakening**

In the duel between life and death, Vitius - God of Life, has successfully struck down Ankhseram - God of death. However, despite his defeat, the ascended shade will extend his life by attaching his weakened spirit to the soul of a child bearing his curse.

…

Within the struggle between chaos and discord, Dragon vs God, a decisive victory was attained for the black dragon as he struck down Eris - The Goddess of Chaos and devoured her whole. His decision forced an evolution on his body, which had not begun to ascend. The power that ravaged his veins assaulted every fiber of his being, constantly breaking and reforming his bones, muscles, and magic. However, through this attainment of great power, his sanity would be sacrificed… becoming nothing more than an apocalyptic force of nature.

…

Between the battle between Sin and order, Diablo - God of Sin, brutally eviscerated Staterius - God of Order. The battle was hard fought, neither side surrendering despite their injuries. However, despite the closeness of their struggle, it would be the demon god that emerged victorious in this duel.

…

The Greatest of the Fire Dragons, one who fought against those that would see humans as nothing but sustenance, became the second of his kind to prove himself superior to a God. The infernal battle, one that reduced all life and land to ashes, would end with the defeat of Embrius - God of Fire. It would be this victory that allowed the dragon to absorb a portion of the power held by Embrius, allowing him to ascend to the realms of divinity. Despite his defeat, Embrius, one of the great three, was able to escape back to the Nether with his life, abandoning the war effort completely.

…

High above within the atmosphere, the storm began to calm as Susanoo - God of Lightning, attained victory against the twin gods of air. Ventia - Goddess of the Skies, was able to escape with her life. However, her twin elder brother - even if its only by three minutes, Ventus - God of Winds, was slain in battle from a devastating blast from the opposing god. Susanoo, who was too injured to give chase, allowed Ventia to escape with her life. He eventually retreated back to the Nether himself, abandoning the war effort.

…

* * *

Moments earlier, the Light God abandoned his battle with Nemesis to combat the arising threat.

 _How could something of this magnitude exist?_

Solarin grinded his teeth in frustration; a heavy toll was already taken on all sides; millions of lives were taken within minutes of the battle. Soldiers, civilians, and even creatures that had nothing to do with the war became victims of their struggle.

Humans, animals, and those that called Earthland their home were slaughtered in the billions for simply being at the wrong place at the time. No, it was simply the wrong _time_ , for there was nowhere in Earthland that could provide safety in this war.

Seconds later, Solarin finally got an accurate sense of what exactly he was dealing with. The power of the beast that seem to flicker from place to place was _immense_. Its irregular movements were difficult to follow, even with _his_ eyes, and if its destructive power was of any indication, he would _not_ be able to beat him.

 _Not alone._

What was he supposed to do? Even against odds _this_ overwhelming, he could not simply give up! If there was the slimmest of chances, he _had_ to try!

As soon as Solarin was in plain sight, the dragon god abruptly ceased its mindless carnage, instead focusing directly at the approaching challenger. Solarin braced himself, if he made a single mistake… then it would be all _over_. Nearly instantaneously, a large black figure appeared in front of him, a titanic claw balled into a fist already inches from his body.

 _Wha-_ ***** _ **Crack!***_

The light god had no time to comprehend what just happened as he was devastated by the beast's attack. Multiple shock waves radiated from his body as he soared through the air at great speeds. With great effort, Solarin righted himself in the air, wiping a stream of blood from his busted lips.

Solarin gritted his teeth as the black dragon readied another charge _. What_!? He widened his eyes; he was able to _see_ the movements of his opponent quite clearly this time. It barely moved at a _fifth_ of its original speed when it first attacked him.

 _Of course!_

Remembering the explosion of magic he felt during his battle with Nemesis, Solarin concluded. The dragon had just _recently_ ascended, which meant that its power was still in imbalance. If he wanted to defeat the beast charging him, then he could not allow it - _under ANY circumstance -_ to master its abilities.

Attempting to capitalize on his opponent's momentary weakness, Solarin rushed forwards in a burst of speed, his fists infused with concentrated light energy. The speed of his adversary remained unchanged; it seemed that its power fluctuation would be in his favour just for this moment. Smiling confidently, Solarin prepared to dig his fist into the beast's abdomen.

With all his strength, the god thought he could down the beast at its weakest with one shot. Smiling from the satisfying crunch, Solarin widened his eyes when he felt the heart beat of the beast rumble against his fist.

 _What no!_ Solarin scoffed, jumping backwards to avoid the counterattack.

Too slow.

With its original speed, the black dragon accelerated towards Solarin, ramming him head on with its armoured scales.

 **"Graaah!"** Solarin grunted in pain, spitting out blood from the heavy blow he took straight to his stomach.

The dragon continued its inconsistent strikes, forcing Solarin to on dodging and defending the swipes from the dragon. _It's pattern… it's too irregular!_

The speed and strength of each strike was different; one could crack Solarin's bones from blocking and another could be endured without much damage. The Light God was stuck in a dilemma, if he chose to counter, he could easily be opening himself to another life-threatening blow, but if he did _not_ attack, then he would have _zero_ chance of victory. However, he could not afford to risk the outcome of this battle on chance alone… but if he couldn't rely on luck, then how would he win?

Solarin blinked.

Horrible mistake… as soon as he opened his eyes, a giant claw completely engulfed his vision.

 _What unnatural speed!_

The ruler of the heavens simply stood there, dumbfounded. He was surprised at his own reaction from seeing the claw. A sudden wave of despair and hopelessness struck him as an astronomical pressure and killing intent assaulted his form. He could only stare at the infinitely sharp talons as if it approached in slow motion, his quickened perception only prolonging his impending destruction.

 _ ***Crash!***_

He was snapped out of his daze by the emergence of a massive armoured figure that slammed into the dragon with his shoulder, causing a great gust of wind to radiate from the point of contact. Fortunately, the new arrival was able to interrupt the blow meant for Solarin.

The withering fire within the Lord of the Heavens was reignited by the presence of his new comrade. His Ox-like horns on his helmet, the tattered green cape topped off with a full set of celestial armour, and the unmistakable mustache that extended outwards towards his hands.

 _Caelestus?!_ A small grin stretched across Solarin's cheeks; his hope rekindled as their chances of victory had just improved by his arrival.

 _There's only ONE family capable of bringing him outside of the Celestial Realm!_

Solarin's grin widened from cheek to cheek. **"You have no idea how glad I am to see you here right now!"** The appearance of his friend, one who stood among the highest of gods, made him forget about the rampaging dragon, _just_ for a moment.

The larger spirit smirked in response. **"I'm sure we'll have lots of time to converse later, but there's an angry black dragon coming at us with force!"** His smile became a frown, his eyes focused and body tensed.

 **"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR!"**

A thundering roar bellowed towards the two gods as the black dragon blitzed them.

With a newfound confidence, Solarin and Caelestus met its charge head on, with Caelestus defending against the brunt force while Solarin delivered numerous attacks to where the scales would be weaker.

Almost immediately, the dragon overpowered Caelestus in a direct engagement. It lashed at Solarin with its tail, causing him to cross his arms to protect himself from the blow. Following its assault, thousands of particles began gravitating towards the dragon, converging in its open jaw before focusing into a condensed sphere of chaos energy.

 _Shit!_

It fired as soon as it charged, a massive blue-white beam of immeasurable magnitude arced towards both gods. Not even a second passed before the beam struck true; however, to the two gods, it seemed as it were an eternity.

 _Impossible!_ Solarin widened his eyes, gritting his teeth in pain from the destructive force on his body. The light god glanced towards Caelestus, seeing the struggling spirit king hold back the beam with his sword.

Despite their efforts, they were being pushed back by the increasingly powerful ray. More and more magic was being poured into the attack, both Solarin and Caelestus quickly losing ground as a result.

 _If this continued… then we won't make it!_ Sweat poured down the Light God in waves, burns appearing on his arms as the enemy shredded through his defences. Spirit and God could not move, for all their efforts were in keeping themselves from being struck by the overwhelming force.

Closer.

The beam pushed them further and further back. Their defenses nearly broken and their bodies tiring from the strain of resisting with such force.

 _I refuse to lose my will, NOT AGAIN._ Solarin felt his power exploding like a raging infernal as he pushed back with all his might. Just for a second, it seemed that they were gaining ground, but that was all it was… a _second._

 _Magic…_ was a power known to be influenced by feelings; what was known to be an art mastered with discipline could be strengthened through will. However, no amount of will would be able to push back the monstrosity that was the incarnation of Armageddon in front of them.

 _AUGGGGGHHHHH!_ Solarin's eye went completely bloodshot as he strained himself to the absolute maximum.

 ***CRACK!***

Once again, their imminent destruction was interrupted by new arrivals. One of shadow and one of flames. A great horned figure cloaked by darkness combined his strength with Solarin and Caelestus, successfully pushing back the beam.

From the side, a Fire dragon emitting an ethereal red glow blasted the berserk beast with a massive spume of flames, all with a black tinge.

 _Nemesis…_

Solarin's face scrunched in ambivalence, he was relieved the dark god came to fight with them; however, he was still concerned about his goals. Whatever it was, it could come later, their current objective was to take down the black dragon.

Nemesis, Caelestus, and Solarin all shared a silent look, nodding at each other. All of them wordlessly agreed to put aside their past feuds so they can focus their efforts in taking down a common enemy.

Solarin's eye glanced towards the red dragon currently breathing a steady yet magnificent blaze towards the black dragon.

 _To think… another of their kind would ascend._ It was peculiar. Dragons have never ascended in history, until now. Not just one, but _two_ had made it to godhood. Fortunately for them, one of them was on their side… _for now it seems._

Abruptly, Nemesis charged towards the black dragon, quickly followed by Caelestus and Solarin. All of them were ready to unleash oblivion on the one that would destroy without purpose. Vengeance, justice, balance, hatred. It didn't matter why they were fighting. The only thing that did, was the defeat of their enemy.

God, Demon, Dragon, and Spirit all fought together. Their only goal was to slay their adversary.

Thousands of punches, slashes, kicks, and attacks were performed by the four deities. Each strike weakening the dragon little by little. None were enough to be decisive, but their constant onslaught proved too much for the black beast to counter attack.

Seconds later, much of their magic have been expanded. The black dragon was covered in a massive dust cloud as the four deities surrounded it from all sides. Neither said a word; they were all waiting for the result of their efforts. Would they celebrate Victory? Or would they die in defeat?

As soon as the dust cleared, they were giving their answers. Four pairs of eyes widened at the sight that befell them.

Acnologia, the dragon that withstood a brutal offensive from four gods of the highest class, remained standing. Blood was flowing down the numerous cuts and lacerations, a gaze of pure rage boring into the four deities.

 **"DAMN IT!"** Solarin bellowed in frustration as he recklessly rushed the dragon.

 **"Wait!"** Caelestus tried to reason with his comrade. However, he too was lost for action. They gave the dragon everything they had, if it was unharmed, then they truly would not be able to defeat him. The spirit king widened his eyes in realization. Unless… the dragon was forced into Limbo. Normally this would be impossible, but with Solarin and Nemesis, it could be done.

While amidst his thoughts, the Celestial Spirit King glanced at the Fire Dragon to his right.

 _We'll have to rely on him to buy us time…_

Exiting his thoughts, he gritted his teeth in anger. _Is this what we've come to?! Have we become so weak we need to sacrifice another to win?!_ Damn it! Dragon or not, such a way was _dishonourable_. Enough had been claimed by this war… but, he couldn't think of another way! There was no helping it, it was either that, or everything; whether they were from the Heavens, Nether, Earthland, or the Celestial Realm, will _perish._

The dragon continued its relentless assault on the four gods; each blow delivered emitting a shock wave that resounded all throughout the air. The skies were cleared of clouds from the dragon's powerful strikes. Only the dragon, whose attacks had both the strength to pierce scales and the divine element of a god, could damage the black beast.

 **"How much time do we need?"** Solarin spoke, seemingly coming to the same conclusion as Caelestus. Even half a minute of uninterrupted preparation could be too much to ask for, considering the speed and strength of the black dragon. Even _if_ the dragon of flames had mastered its ascension, the gap between those two was clear as crystal. Even a single direct hit to the dragon of flames could mean its fall.

 **"If we use all of our remaining strength, while I direct it into a seal, we could cast it in - AARGGH,"** The celestial spirit's words were stopped by a massive black and blue beam that struck him in his chest. The black dragon had already thrown the other dragon off of him, now putting his focus towards the planning gods.

As Caelestus flew back towards the open sky, Solarin and Nemesis charged the dragon, following a serpentine path so both of them could not be targeted at once. The gaps between the three drew closer and closer, only for a black tail to swat Nemesis straight into the valley below, cracking the earth from horizon to horizon.

 _Damn!_

Solarin continued his charge despite its strength. If he were to turn his attention away, he would immediately be punished for it. With all his senses focused, Solarin managed to dodge two claw swipes at him before charging his own spell at the dragon's midsection.

Almost simultaneously, the fire dragon, who now have multiple wounds all over his body, flew right behind the beast and made multiple rings of flame to bind it in place.

 _ ***BOOM!***_

A deafening explosion with Acnologia at its epicentre radiated outwards. The dragon, although with no noticeable damage, seemed to have the air knocked out of it for the briefest of moments.

Solarin was not confident he would land the strike; the beast had been avoiding him and counter attacking every time he made a move. But it was as if, it didn't even _register_ his movements.

 _Wait…_ The ruler of heaven widened at his own revelation. The energy fluctuations might have become far less frequent in a short amount of time… but what the dragon doesn't have, _is control._ Focusing his senses, he saw that the magic radiating off the black dragon was indeed inconsistent. A massive amount of excess energy pouring off of it every second.

 _I can see its pattern now, now was their chance!_

 **"CAELESTUS, WHATEVER YOU PLAN TO DO…"** An aura larger than any he had before began to engulf his surroundings. **"DO IT NOW!"**

His words rang true as the old spirit king immediately sheathed his sword and began frantically drawing hundreds of symbols.

 **"Quick! Give me as much magic as you can!"** Caelestus shouted back, a magic circle forming from ground to sky as the other two pumped their magic into the spell.

* * *

Instinctively, Acnologia saw the danger in whatever the three gods were planning. Yet, he could not move… _why_? As he looked back, he saw the red dragon that had been attacking him holding his arms and wings tightly, forcing him in place.

 _ **How dare he…**_ The dragon of apocalypse began clearing his mind at a quickened pace, the animal-like instincts replaced with barely contained rage.

 _ **HOW DARE HE…**_ No matter what, he will kill _all_ those that had forsaken him! He would make the red dragon that would dare lay his claws on him suffer _._ He would devour him until there was _nothing_ left.

A great fire began building up from his stomach, the anger, the grief, the despair from before. All of it came back to him, from when he saw dragons took away everything from him, from his victory against the god. All of his power, all of his strength… he would _not_ allow his vengeance to END HERE!

 _ **I AM THE DRAGON GOD**_ **… ACNOLOGIA!**

 **"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR,"** A great deafening roar escaped Acnologia's pitch black maws as a resounding shockwave slammed into all four of his adversaries.

All the power that had been locked deep within had its chains unshackled. The strength and speed that only his instincts could access, was now his and his alone.

With another angered screech, Acnologia broke out of the fire dragon's grip as if it were a twig, all while using his dragon roar. The red dragon stood no chance as it became engulfed by the blast.

Acnologia pulled back his attack, not because he wanted to spare the dragon… but he would make sure to devour his essence before leaving him an empty shell to die slowly. He moved far faster than he had ever before, opening his jaws to clamp down on the shoulder of his falling foe.

In mere moments, Acnologia devoured the majority of his essence, not bothering to savour the final bits and pieces. He had done what he wanted; he left the dragon with an inch of his life, knowing that it would fade away into nothingness slowly… and _painfully_.

 _ **Die.**_

Once again, an immeasurable rage began building from his being, quickly blanketing his mind that he had only just regained.

 _ **DIE.**_

 _ **"DIE!"**_ The sound that left him was far more terrifying then a simple word. It was as if multiple voices all layered with a roar to create the inhuman monstrosity of a sound.

Acnologia turned his gaze to his other opponents. The three that struggled with his power even before he fully evolved. Now, there would be no hope for them as he would condemn them all to the same fate.

Even with just the thoughts of killing and torturing, Acnologia's jaws began to resemble a sadistic smile as he began to charge towards his opponents.

His eyes gained tunnel vision as he neared the three gods. Saliva began to drip out of his mouth as he imagined devouring them over, and over, and _over_ again.

A great flash of light…

Then darkness.

* * *

 **Moments earlier**

 **"Don't Focus on anything else! Put EVERYTHING you got into the spell!"** Caelestus shouted, his spell quickly nearing completion as the circle he drew resembled a crescent moon. If this kept up, the spell would be completed in mere seconds. They could only hope that Acnologia would remain.

To their dismay, the dragon broke away from the red dragon with great ease. The magic that surrounded the beast seemed to flow consistently, signaling control… and _that_ , was horrifying news.

The sickening roar that followed was unprecedented, the volume and magnitude of it alone was enough to blast all three of them with a powerful shockwave.

 _This power…it's overwhelming!_ Beads of sweat travelled down the side of his chin as Solarin's heart beat faster and faster. Glancing at the demon god, he saw Nemesis with an emotionless expression.

 _Just what are you thinking?_

Immediately after the roar, the eyes of all but the dark god widened as they witnessed the next scene. Right in front of them, the black dragon let a huge blast of magic escape from his maw, putting burn marks on almost every inch of the other dragon's body. The red dragon was for sure unconscious, but it did not stop there. Stopping the descent of the defeated creature, it gnawed on the side of its neck, absorbing its life force, before finally letting go.

 _Absolute beast!_

As soon as the red dragon began to fall, the black beast turned towards the three. Within its eyes, they could see intelligence; no longer was it driven by pure instincts, yet the sickening sadistic grin that was facing them did nothing to calm the image.

It began charging, faster than ever before, its killing intent oozing out to its surroundings, promising pain and suffering to whatever and whoever it faced.

 **"** _ **Now!"**_ The spirit king exclaimed as the final symbol of his spell completed; he used up all the power given and within, pouring it right into the seal. The magic circle compressed in an instant, before exploding in a gigantic flash of light.

* * *

Gradually, the light died down, the overwhelming pressure in the air disappearing with it. No longer were the skies filled with killing intent, no longer would the realms be plagued by a beast of destruction. For as the light died down, there was no sign of the black dragon.

The three gods could only stare in silence at where their opponent was earlier. There had been no struggle, no final words, or even a body. All the blood that was spilled was theirs; yet, it was their victory. What was a complete one-sided battle ended in an instant. Despite the disappearance of their foe, they asked themselves again…

Was it truly over?

Perhaps it was, for _now_.

It was considered a miracle to even open the seal to limbo; but despite the difficulty, none of them believed it was impossible for the black dragon to break through on power alone.

Nobody knew what would happen to it in the invisible world of dreams, nor if escape was possible, but in their deepest instincts they knew. It was not a matter of how… but a matter of _time_.

 **"It's quite surreal isn't it…"** Solarin and Caelestus both turned to the surprisingly gentle voice. It was unlike the low demonic rumble that he normally spoke with. Yet Nemesis simply stood unmoving, watching the destruction all around the realms, seemingly deep in thought.

 **"All I wanted to do was conquer the realms, bring them all under my rule."** Turning towards the other two gods, Nemesis released a low chuckle, one not unlike Solarin would do himself. **"Seeing all** _ **this**_ **, it seems pointless to continue this war."**

Solarin was not surprised Nemesis shared the same sentiments as himself, but he wasn't expecting the dark god of all people to admit it first. Was he thinking about this through their entire battle? Solarin narrowed his eyes, giving the demon another glare.

From what he understood, Nemesis wanted to become the tyrant for all of existence. Certainly, he could have continued the war; for as it is now, he had more military strength than heaven. If he pressed another attack, Nemesis would have likely had been the victor.

After another look of the surrounding destruction, Solarin had come to a decision. **"When the gods entered the realm of the mortals,"** he began, glancing at both Caelestus and Nemesis before continuing. **"It only served to make it bleed. Billions of souls are no longer in the realm of the living."**

The respective rulers of Nether and Heaven looked at each other, both coming to the same decision.

 **"The gods… should no longer step foot into the mortal realm."**

 **"Agreed."**

With a conflicted mind, Nemesis made his way back to the Nether, where he would soon seal up the entrance, to prevent another conflict that could lead to mutually assured destruction.

As Nemesis left the remaining two gods, Solarin and Caelestus both gave the destruction caused by the war another stare. There was nothing left to be said, for the two gods simply gave each other an understanding look, before returning to their own homes.

* * *

 **Conclusion of the great war**

Out of over 10,000 that entered the war with Solarin, 9,852 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The various creatures that survived either returned to heaven or made Earthland their home… no longer desiring to be a part of the gods' plan any longer.

Hundreds of beings that did not return to heaven found refuge with the mortals, many of them thanking them for fighting against the dragons, while others faded into history.

…

From the forces of the damned, numbering just over 30,000, 29,201 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The majority of the forces all returned to the Nether, not seeing the novelty of living in the mortal realm. Those who did not return, found refuge in their own elements, often in solitude with little contact as the mortals still remembered and fear them.

…

Out of the 13 gods that descended from heaven, only 6 remain. Vitius - The god of life, Ventia - The goddess of the skies, Aquos - The goddess of the oceans, Kemokemo - The god of nature, Stellia - The goddess of the stars, and Solarin himself - the god of light, ruler of heaven.

From the 8 gods that came from the bowels of the Nether, only a single one had perished. The god of death - Ankersham was mortally wounded by Vitius - The god of life. Yet, in his dying breath, he attached his soul to a certain black-haired boy that bore his curse from tampering with powers not within his own understanding…

…

Heaven or Nether, the gods decided that their presence should never once again be in the mortal realm. Despite this decision, this unspoken law would relax over the years, where in time, Solarin himself would step foot in Earthland once again.

…

Of the various creatures from the Nether and Heaven that remained in Earthland, their existence would soon become known as legends. From beautiful mystical entities to beasts only known through mythology. Yet in time, their existence will soon be known to the rest of the world.

…

Of the dragons, many have suffered from the gods, as well as from each other. Those that remained; some returned home to the Nether, and some were granted entrance to heaven for their noble actions in the conflict. The dozens that chose to remain in Earthland, found respective homes in their elements, and some would traverse through time and space, so they could defend the world once again from the apocalypse.

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 8 finished! Next chapter: A Father's final words**

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	9. CH9 - Light Among Shadow and Flame

**Chapter 9 - Test of Survival**

Out of over 10,000 that entered the war with Solarin, 9,852 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The various creatures that survived either returned to heaven, or made Earthland their home… no longer desiring to be a part of the gods' plan any longer.

Hundreds of beings that did not return to heaven found refuge with the mortals, many of them thanking them for fighting against the dragons, while others faded into history.

…

From the forces of the damned, numbering just over 30,000, 29,201 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The majority of the forces all returned to the Nether, not seeing the novelty of living in the mortal realm. Those who did not return, found refuge in their own elements, often in solitude with little contact as the mortals still remembered and fear them.

…

Out of the 13 gods that descended from heaven, only 6 remain. Vitius - The god of life, Ventia - The goddess of the skies, Aquos - The goddess of the oceans, Kemokemo - The god of nature, Stellia - The goddess of the stars, and Solarin himself - the god of light, ruler of heaven.

From the 8 gods that came from the bowels of the Nether, only a single one had perished. The god of death - Ankersham was mortally wounded by Vitius - The god of life. Yet, in his dying breath, he attached his soul to a certain black-haired boy that bore his curse from tampering with powers not within his own understanding…

…

Heaven or Nether, the gods decided that their presence should never once again be in the mortal realm. Despite this decision, this unspoken law would relax over the years, where in time, Solarin himself would step foot in Earthland once again.

…

Of the various creatures from the Nether and Heaven that remained in Earthland, their existence would soon become known as legends. From beautiful mystical entities to beasts only known through mythology. Yet in time, their existence will soon be known to the rest of the world.

…

Of the dragons, many have suffered from the gods, as well as from each other. Those that remained; some returned home to the Nether, and some were granted entrance to heaven for their noble actions in the conflict. The dozens that chose to remain in Earthland, found respective homes in their elements, and some would traverse through time and space, so they could defend the world once again from the apocalypse.

* * *

 **Temple of Solarin**

"Wait, what happened after that?" Benjin exclaimed anxiously. This whole war made no sense! How did any of what he just saw explain why someone _so important_ became his father! What did _he_ have anything to do with this war of fuckening?!

 _I am more confused that I was before coming here…_

"There are so many questions unanswered, and the ones that _were_ answered just made more questions, what the actual fu-" his sentence was interrupted by a flick to the forehead, followed by a sigh from the older man.

"I wish I had the time and strength to tell you the entire story…" the voice of his father trailed off, seemingly tired and quieter compared to how he was speaking before.

"I had to at least tell you of the war, and what caused it…" his expression became grim, the powerful eyes became filled with sadness.

"For I am afraid-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on! Where even are we! What is all this?" Benjin had just noticed that they were no longer in the weird limbo room but instead they were in a dimly lit chamber resembling the old temple, surrounded by an entire field of what seemed to be junk.

"Is this some sort of garbage room?"

Furrowing his brow at his son, Solarin began, "No, this is not a garbage room. These were the offerings given by the followers of the sun for the past 400 years." Despite his calm voice, Benjin could see that his dad took some offence from his comment.

 _Uhh oops? …Wait 400 years?_

"Now as I was saying, I had to tell you what caused all of this… because I am afraid the black beast known as Acnologia, will soon escape. When exactly? I do not know." Hearing his father's words, Benjin widened his eyes in terror.

 _That thing… will return?!_

"Not only that, the dark god you saw - Nemesis _, will_ invade again."

"What? But at the end you all agreed to not set foot in the world!" Why was his dad even telling him this? Did he expect him to single handily prevent the prevent the greatest fuckery of _all_ time?!

Solarin's eyes trailed to the floor, his face bearing a forlorn expression, before beginning.

"That… was 400 years ago."

 _What?_

"Those words were all but forgotten. The aggression in Nemesis that was once shackled by shock and confusion gradually loosened in time. The only reason he did not invade… was because of _me_." _Him?_

As seconds passed, Benjin finally got hold of his confusion and was able to ask with a hurried expression. "So, you're saying that without you, he's going to invade? But When? How? Where!?" Solarin waved his son's anxiety off.

"I have a feeling he will invade in the next twenty years; it will take him roughly that amount of time to completely mobilize an entire realm… there were no signs of him doing so in the time I ruled Heaven. All I can say is that we still suffer from the casualties of war. If another war were to occur again… Nemesis _will_ win."

"…" Benjin chuckled sheepishly, his eyes glued to the stone floor.

"So this is it? You're telling me that some demon god will come and enslave all of us and there's nothing I or anyone else can do? WHY! WHY WOULD YOU SA-" Benjin's rant was once again interrupted by a flick to the head.

"Ow!" The boy rubbed the flicked area with his arm to lessen the pain.

"Silence boy! If it were truly impossible then I wouldn't have bothered talking to you an-"

"Then HOW!"

"IF you would let me _finish_ , then perhaps you would know!"

The father and son duo stared at each other intently before breaking into an awkward laughter. After another moment, they simply smiled at each other, a melancholic joy forming together in his heart.

 _I missed this…_

"I know."

Benjin widened his eyes. "Wait what, ho-"

"Expression."

"Right." Benjin realized, despite the short time they were having together, it felt as if his dad never left in the first place. _Then again perhaps…_ he felt his pendant with a hand, _he never did_.

"Benjin." His father began, "I know something as big as this is a burden no father should hand their child." The gaze of the former god dropped to the ground.

"But I always had the feeling, even before I left the mortal realm, that if there was _anyone_ that could do it… it was you."

 _Me? I'm just one boy…_

"But how can I do this alone?" The golden-haired boy pleaded. Benjin saw the level of strength shown in that war…his own power didn't even register when compared to beings like that. So how? How could his father place so much confidence in him?

"No. Not alone."

Benjin widened his eyes at his father's words. But even if the entire world could gather just to defeat Nemesis, how could he possibly do that? _Where would I even BEGIN?!_

"It will not be easy, that I can guarantee. But you must rally the realms together and figh-" His voice trailed off, despite the former god's moving lips, there was no sound. The only thing Benjin could make out was his dad's flickering form. One second being solid, another second being transparent.

 _Wait not yet! You can't leave!_

For just a single moment, Benjin could see the strain in his father's face. Soon, the flickering slowed down gradually, then finally stopped.

"It seems that I lost track of time." Solarin paused. "I won't be able to stay much longer," the bearded man concluded, only having seconds left before he can no longer hold his existence together.

 _Wait no, not yet! There are so many things I still want to say!_

"No wait! You can't go!" Benjin screamed frantically as he reached for his father, only for his arms to pass through his form.

"Remember Benjin…"

"No, no! I wanted to tell you of all the things I done, and about the places I've been and whe-"

"No matter where you are…" Benjin's words were cut off by his father's musing.

"Please you can't! Not yet!" the tears that stopped once again flowed, far more intense than before.

"The light, shall always be on your side…"

"Please, I haven't told you about the first friend I made…" Benjin gave a sorrowful stare at his father's dissipating body. On the elder man's face, he could notice a small wavering smile where a single tear flowed down his face, gently falling towards the floor with a sparkle.

 _I love you my son… F-Fare-Farewell._

With tearful eyes, Benjin looked up to the dying light that was once the spirit of his father.

 _"Bye_ …"

* * *

The silence in the room made it seem like an eternity. Despite that it had only been a few minutes since his dad left. His still glistening eyes blurred his vision, making the dimly lit room seem like simple shapes and colours.

 _Damn it… I hate being a crybaby._

It was already over a year since _that_ day; he truly thought he was past his father's death but seeing him again just to lose him made all those feelings resurface. Hopelessness, weakness, sorrow, despair, all of it came up at once and there was _nothing_ he could do about it… other than _cry_.

Benjin abruptly stood up, kicking a few of the 'tributes' away in frustration. Great, just great. His dad was gone, he gave him an absolutely _impossible_ mission and he hadn't had the slightest idea and how to even start.

Not only that, surrounding him was a bunch of junk and garbage and… _wait what's that smell?_ True to his suspicions, there was some sort of disgusting rotten smell from all around him. _How did I not notice this earlier? Damn! That's RANCID._

Wiping his tears, he gave the area a clearer look. Appalling. Simply disgusting. All around him was food and other offerings that were various shades of black or green.

 _Food. They had been here… for 400 YEARS._

Was he supposed to take this? What in the world could he even use rotten food for? Should he take it anyway and hope there's some useful things?

 _Screw it, I'll take them all and just dump out the bad stuff in a lake or something…_

Focusing his magic, he reached out to the room and began pulling any and all items he could find. To his surprise, there was quite a decent amount of… everything here. On top of the massive mountain-loads of junk, he could feel weapons, shields, armour, random blocks of wood, and some swirly liquid in pots all entering his storage dimension.

After everything in the room was taken, there was only one thing left to do.

 _Leave this disgusting cave._

Once again summoning his light torch, he looked around the room, trying to find a way out. Far on the other side, there was a door that blended _very_ well into the rest of the wall. The only reason he was able to find it so easily, was because he noticed the slight aura coming off of it.

* * *

It seemed that the offering room was quite close to where he was picked up to limbo. There was the familiar circle of pillars as well the pedestal where he left his pendant- _Wait, his pendant!_

Frantically reaching down his robe to where he normally kept his greatest treasure, he was _extremely_ relieved to find it exactly where it should be, around his neck. It was probably some weird magic god mumbo-jumbo that teleported it to him; he didn't even remember putting it back on!

 _Hmmm… why not take another look at it before leaving._ Whether it was out of curiousity or a feeling he could not tell. The feeling that drew him here, seemed to completely die down with only a slight, beacon-like feeling. Sort of like a blob of light always in his field of vision but not exactly bothering him.

 _What is that?_ The boy saw a familiar golden staff decorated with the sun circle on top as well as a large tome sitting directly on top of the pedestal. A whisper carried by the slightest of breezes brushed past his ear.

 _My last gift to you… my son._

"What was that?" Was that his father? _Is he telling me to take them?_

Slowly, Benjin reached for the staff. As he gripped the pole, he felt as if holding it was the rightest thing in the world. It was as if the staff was designed _just_ for his hands alone. The size, weight, and height were just perfect for him. On top of that, he could feel a powerful aura of light coming from the orb bearing the sun circle.

 _Nice…_ he trailed off, twirling his new-found toy and giving a few practice swings before putting his attention on the dusty book on the pedestal. Despite not knowing what's inside, the aura of the book was able to hint at its contents.

 _Magic tome?_

Indeed, he could feel a similar aura to the staff coming from the book. Without putting down the staff, he reached for the cover, anxious for whatever is inside.

As soon as he made contact, a large magic seal activated, causing a myriad of blinding lights to explode from the artifacts. His vision was completely enveloped by what he could only describe as some sort of psychedelic experience. Stars resembling the visions when he would rub his eyes hard began covering everything in his line of sight. Invigoration, energy, and strangely… some sort of weird feeling around his lower midsection? These were all the feelings that he felt rushing into him as gigantic flash of light illuminated the entire room.

Deep inside, he could feel a foreign yet familiar magic flow into him, destroying a wall that blocked him from some of his deeper potential. Images of the tome flipping in front of him as well as all the contents came to be. It was if he skimmed through half the book but there was only one spell he could just barely remember; and not only that, he felt as if he used this staff before.

 _The staff of Solarin._

This… was this his father's staff? There was no way! Something like should have been in the deepest vaults of Empyrean or something! Just as he thought that, a miniscule amount of ancient magic came into him, as if breaking a dam. _What is this?_

Immediately after, he gave his attention to the tome that simply levitated in front of him.

 _Light God slayer Magic._

As the light died down, Benjin smiled to himself. A feeling of serenity washing over him. He still had absolutely no idea on what to do, but this… was a damned _start!_

With a feeling of excitement and energy, Benjin broke into a run, putting the staff and tome into his storage before making his way up the stairs. There was nothing that could stop him, he rushed up the stairs like he never had before, and exited the temple, ignoring the burst of light that pulsed right before he made his exit.

Little did he know however, was at the darkest corners of the cave, was a large golden egg, covered in scales, broken in half and lying on the floor. With it, the sound of tiny feet could be heard following him up towards the entrance.

* * *

 **Deep inside a mountain**

From the lowest chamber of the tallest peak, two deep amber eyes opened for the first time in hundreds of years. Shadows and smoke flowed around the great creature. Its grotesque form and horns illuminated by the flames that followed its awakening. In one hand, held a glowing red sword, in the other, a whip made from the fires of hell itself.

The creature looked around, taking notice of every detail inside its resting place, before letting a bloodthirsty grin plaster itself on its face.

 **"I sense a godling…"**

* * *

To say the trip to the temple was invigorating was an understatement. _I hadn't felt this good in… ever_! It was as if he could run faster, jump higher, read books in the dark longer, and even eat more! The smile that was already on his face stretched even further as he looked towards the sky.

 _Night…_

To think, he could feel this energetic in the dead of night. It was always opposite for him, good in the day, and drowsy at night; now, he felt as if not even _that_ could stop him.

"I am Invincible!" The newly awakened mage exclaimed as his run became skips and his skips became full-blown jumps. As he made another leap however, he suddenly began remembering the cliff he climbed, and if his memory was correct, he should have passed it just now.

"OH SH*-AAAAAAAAARGGGGGGG"

 _God fucking damnit!_

"Light Chains!" Benjin shouted, multiple constructs of light materialized from the magic circle that appeared, all of them striking different parts of the cliff face.

The first chain dragged him towards the rocky face, the second stopped his swing, and the third balanced him. As the fourth launched, Benjin slowly pulled himself towards the wall, using his spell as grapples to make his way down without accidentally _dying._

 _That was close!_

On the cliff face, he let out a breath of relief as he looked back up towards where he fell from. It was slightly harder to make out the top as there were almost no natural light coming from the sky _. Hmm, I don't remember seeing those clouds at all when I went in…_ Wait, was it raining? Did it _just_ start? Seriously?!

 _Is he unlucky or is Susanoo just a fucking asshole?_

Seriously, why did it have to rain! He _hated_ getting his robe wet!

Benjin sighed, all while his hair began getting pelted by a thousand tiny droplets. _Okay, okay… pretty sure I had an umbrella somewhere in here. Ah ha!_ A rippling golden portal emerged as an undersized umbrella descended. Immediately opening the white parasol, the drenched blonde lifted it above his head and was able to stop the aggressive rain.

Smiling to himself, he walked towards the entrance of the library, where the stone path over the moat begun. What was he doing again? Oh right, he was going to take a bunch of books from the lost magic section and get out of there.

 _Wait…_

Now that he thought of it, the library wasn't exactly well hidden. With how much knowledge and books in there, he would think that _many_ people would be visiting this place. What about that Bora guy? From the stuff he took from him, there were only maybe two or three things that could be books.

Benjin put a finger to his chin. _Hmmmmmm._

 _ **Rumble… rumble.**_

The boy snapped towards the mountain. _What's that sound?_

Looking closely, he noticed small rocks falling down from the top. Benjin narrowed his eyes, scrunching in suspicion. Something was _definitely_ up. Was that the temple closing? Or was it something else?

 _ **RUMBLE… RUMBLE… rumble.**_

If he had any doubts that something was wrong, there certainly wasn't any now. Whatever it was, it was _not_ natural, and it was getting closer… and he was _not_ waiting around to find out what it was!

 _Got to get out of here!_

Picking up his pace, Benjin broke into a sprint while still trying to keep his umbrella straight but failing spectacularly.

 _Ahh screw this!_

Throwing his all-but-useless accessory to the side, the anxious godling jumped towards the library, attempting to take a shortcut by clearing the body of water. At least, he tried to. Almost instantly, a transparent barrier seemed to ripple in the shape of a dome before repelling him back to the shore.

 **RUMBLE… *CRASH* RUMBLE… RUMBLE!**

Benjin could feel his heart beating violently as he once again heard the distressing sound. Whatever it was, he had to get to the library, _now!_ Pushing himself up as fast as he could, he continued his sprint towards the path. The torrential rain was now making it more and more difficult to see and the only marker he could make out was the lanterns that outlined the path.

 _Yes! There it is!_

"Almost there, almost there, ALMOST-"

 **BOOM… *CRASH*** _OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK!_

 **"RAAAAAAARRR,"** a monstrous bellow resounded all across the valley. Benjin nearly froze at the sound; whatever came out from the mountain was not something he should be anywhere _near_!

Despite every inch of his body telling him to keep running, the panicking 12-year-old looked back for the quickest of moments. What he saw, was something completely out of this world. To spectate such a beast from another's view was one thing, but to see the unholy creature with his own eyes was another.

 _A FREAKING DEMON… I have to keep running!_

Snapping himself out of the fear-driven state, Benjin continued towards the path, only to hear a set of thunderous footsteps that grew in intensity.

 _Almost there!_

As soon as he reached it, his entire body told him to evade… _far_ to the side. Not bothering to question his own instincts, he did exactly that. Immediately, the space he occupied was obliterated into a crater with a glowing red sword.

With widened eyes, Benjin turned towards his attacker, only to see a scaled face wearing a sadistic grin.

 _Shit!_

Once again, he tried to move away from the beast, only for the winged monstrosity to dash at him, forcing him to dodge. Moving around the aggressor, he noticed _three_ defining features of the hulking adversary.

First, the curved horns that extended from the top of his head.

Second, the large tattered wings circled by a whip held in its hand.

And third… the massive fumes of flame, smoke, and darkness that seemed to radiate all around it, turning every single drop of rain into steam nearly instantaneously.

An ominous red glow snapped him out of his shocked daze as the demon opened its maw. Benjin saw rows and rows of serrated teeth before noticing a luminous red orb materializing in between its jaws.

 _A beam?!_

Should he dodge it? Should he tank it? Many thoughts began scrambling around Benjin's head as the curse neared completion.

 _No time!_

"Holy Barrier!" A golden translucent shield larger than any he created before materialized from thin air. As soon as the red-black beam struck his barrier, he could feel the massive strain on his body. Cracks began forming all over his spell before the demon's attack began to die down.

 _ ***Crackkk* - split!**_

The sounds of his breaking shield assaulted his ears and the remainder of the spell continued towards him. Quickly summoning his staff, he swung at it with all his strength, redirecting it to the mountain face to the side.

 _That's… not a regular explosion!_

On the cliff face, Benjin saw the burnt and shredded rock showing through the violent burst of flame and shadow. _I can't be hit by that! I'll have to move, and fast!_ With whatever courage he could muster, he looked back to the fiery eyes of the demon with a defiant stare.

Right away, Benjin began dashing backwards in a zigzag pattern, trying to throw his opponent's perception off. While a perfectly fine idea in theory, it was a _completely_ different story in reality. The winged beast instantly saw through his movements and charged at him midjump, sword at the ready for a vicious swing.

 _Shit!_

By reflex, Benjin lifted up his father's staff to intercept the sword, resulting in a grinding clang, sending sparks dancing all around the area of impact.

Grunting in effort, Benjin drove his feet into the ground while trying as much as he could to push his aggressor back. Despite his efforts, the overwhelming force exerted on him was _far_ too much to overcome. The towering demon barely slowed down as the struggling mage was pushed towards the mountainside, only seconds until impact.

Thinking fast, Benjin lifted one of his hands from his staff, closing it into a fist with the index and middle finger extended.

"Light-Make: Fist!" he exclaimed, swinging his arm from the side; right away, the demon suddenly changed his position to a more defensive stance. In the right, a magic circle materialized and created the giant translucent fist that slammed into the demon. However, the demon seemed to have expected it, for it had the arm with the whip up to protect its head.

 _ **Wham!**_

The smoking monster's momentum was forced sideways, allowing Benjin to use a light chain to pull himself away before he took the brunt of the damage.

 _That was too close…_

Suddenly, the muscles in his legs reflexively twitched as he dodged to the side. In the corner of his eye, he saw the fiery whip lash at the landscape, charring the stone that made up the valley. Throughout the short battle, Benjin could feel his heart pounding faster and faster. For the briefest of moments, his eyes focused enough that it was as if he was perceiving each individual rain drop.

Instinctively, he ducked just in time to see the glowing sword blur just above his hair. Damn! Things aren't looking good! He didn't have time to think of a plan and he would eventually get hit by that… cheat-y weapon!

If he didn't buy time, he would lose this battle! Benjin's face contorted in nervousness, his index and middle finger pointed towards the demon.

Here goes nothing… _PLEASE work._

 _Twenty-Four Light Rods!_ A silent cast this time - _it won't know it's coming! -_ twenty-four beams of his magic all manifesting around the air before rocketing towards the demon's midsection.

 **"Rarrrgg!"** A frustrated growl came from the beast as its movements were hindered by the spell.

 _Okay, what do I know so far?_

The demon was stronger, faster, and most likely a far better fighter than him. So how? How could he defeat it? Benjin began observing the marks of battle around, glancing at the struggling demon all the while. _Wait…_ Paying closer attention, the light mage on its arm holding the whip, was a slight distortion in its aura, causing him to widen his eyes.

 _Wait, that's where I punched him!_

Of course! How could he had forgotten! Holy Light Magic was the bane of _all_ demons and darkness. The enemy staring back at him was _both_! Which meant that proportionally, he could do _far_ more damage to it than it could do to him!

 _ **Crack…**_

The sound of his spell cracking reached his ears, halting the growth of his newfound confidence. The light rods were losing power, fast. If he didn't think of something soon, he would be forced back again, and there was no way he could get away with using the rods again. Even then, if his attacks could truly harm the demon that much, then he could win!

 _We'll just have to test that theory!_

 _Solar Wave!_

A large yellow beam that rushed from a magic circle began rocketing towards the demon. Before the impact however, his binding spell broke completely, allowing his opponent to evade.

 **"RAA! You insolent whelp!"** The demon howled in pain; despite moving its body out of the way, Benjin's spell tore through the tattered wings on its back.

 _I can win this!_

He smiled to himself, his confidence quickly replacing his fear. The vision of perceived victory however, would be struck back to reality almost instantly. The angered demon violently slashed its sword, generating a red crescent wave that tore through the landscape.

 _What?!_

Benjin could barely react to the sudden force, just barely getting his staff up to intercept it. Thankfully, he was able to force the attack towards the air, where it exploded in a ring of crimson and black… but not before taking a piece of him with it.

"ARRGHH," A burning, shredding pain exuded from his right shoulder. Grimacing, he touched his wound. _What_ Surprisingly, there was no blood. _It cauterized?!_ He had no time to recover however, as the demon followed up his attack by making a violent blitz towards him, sword at the ready and whip ready to fly.

Gritting his teeth, his mind once again working in over drive to try to think of a counter, without any success. Despite the massive amounts of adrenaline that flowed through his veins, he was coming up dry with any sort of plan to evade. He could barely move his legs from his shaking muscles and there was no way he could dodge that whip in his current state.

 _Then I'll block it, with my strongest barrier!_

"Holy Barrier: Pentagonal Prism!" Magic from the boy were pulsed into the spell; a series of golden translucent walls began erecting all around him, forming a crystal-like hut that completely closed off the space between him and his opponent.

As soon as the demon reached him, it began a relentless barrage of strikes that battered his shield every second. Benjin could see the cracks that spread through every time it was hit. Which each slash, Benjin's body trembled in strain. _Things aren't looking too good!_ There was no way he could drop his spell! If he tried to attack back, no doubt the demon would catch him. If he just stood here and held the spell, he would lose in this exchange!

 _I have to think of something!_

More and more cracks formed in the shield, before the demon reared its sword back, enhancing its red glow for one final. No! This can't be how it ends!

 _I refuse to let it!_

At that moment, he reached deep inside his spirit, trying to find power that he could still access in a desperate bid of survival. Perhaps he could have done it, perhaps he could have found that power he would have awakened back at the temple, but… there was simply _not_ enough time.

"Benjin!" A voice called out.

As the demon prepared to strike downwards, Benjin frantically tried to pull out that power that his father had unlocked just minutes before. Despite his efforts, it was just… too late.

"Heavenly Body Magic: Nova!" This time, the voice was accompanied by a bright flash of light, a beam that dwarfed his own travelling towards advancing beast. The golden spell hit true as it stopped mid-swing to guard himself; despite its effort, the hulking beast was knocked back halfway towards the end of valley, burn marks visible on its arms and legs.

 _What just happened?_

That magic, that aura… he recognized it! But where? His mind flashed back to a year before, back when his mother still lived, and back before he left on his own. Two boys sat on a large mossy rock, looking towards the horizon.

With a massive smile, Benjin dropped his already broken shield, before turning back to meet his saviour.

"Jellal!" True to his words, he saw the same blue hair that he remembered, the same red tattoo on his right eye, and the same blue eyes staring right back at him.

Their reunion, however, was going to have to wait.

 **"I will devour… BOTH of you!"** the furious declaration reached them, followed by a strong gust of wind battering their forms. It rocketed towards the sky, forming a massive orb in between its horns.

Looking up towards the demon, Benjin saw it arching its head back, ready to throw its spell at them. _Wait._ The boy snapped his head backwards. _The Library!_ It was _right_ behind them; if they dodged it, it could very well be destroyed! From the side of his vision, he noticed a bright golden glow emerge from his long-lost friend, before dashing like a shooting star straight towards the demon.

With a smirk, Benjin realized what the blue-haired boy was planning.

Following suit, Benjin immediately pumped magic into his hands, before slamming it down on the ground.

"Smite!" Benjin shouted. _Shit! I hope the demon didn't hear me_ … As the beam of light raised from the ground towards the demon, Jellal made a curved turn around the pillar, getting close enough for his clothes to get singed before ending up right behind the winged beast, charging his own spell.

The airborne foe that was previously in a rage-induced trance, snapped out of his daze as soon as he sensed the activation of the spell under him. Within his senses, he noticed the newcomer that _dared_ to struck him buzzing him around like an insignificant bug. With a sharp turn of his head, he split the orb he was charging into two, before firing one at the incoming attack and the other at the fly.

 _ **BOOM…**_

As the attacks met, a large explosion engulfed the immediate area, filling it with smoke. Benjin, whose eyes became more focused than before, could make out the different auras of both friend and foe within the cloud.

The whip of flames and shadow shot out of the smoke, wrapping itself on Benjin's leg before flinging him towards the side. _AHHH!_ Grunting in pain, Benjin felt himself be thrown through the air, before hitting another body and smashing into the mountainside.

As the two boys recovered, they got off of each other, giving themselves an intense stare.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Jellal exclaimed, obviously not happy with how things turn out.

Benjin aggressively pointed at the other boy. "I was doing what you were doing!" Jellal narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth.

"I had it! I was going to blow up its attack on itself then your dumbass decided to pop up that 'Retard' pillar!"

"First of all, that spell is called 'Smite!', second of all, that would not have worked, period! You would have gotten blasted straight to next year the moment you attempted that idiotic mass of garbage you called 'strategy!'"

"Oh yeah flashlight? How about you come with a better plan because you are so obviously the genius here!"

"Flashlight? Nice words coming from a blueberry head, Jelly."

"Grr…"

"Grr…"

 **"GRRRR…"** A deep rumbling growl snapped them both out of their little 'argument'. The two boys looked back to cloud of smoke with dismay as the demon slowly walked out.

"We'll take of this later, we still have that to worry about," Jellal readied his spell again, still frustrated from their lack of synergy.

"Fine."

With an angered roar, the demon of shadows swung both of his weapons downwards; the sword emitting the same crimson slash flash while the whip extended to multiple times its original length.

"SPLIT!"

Immediately, the two boys jumped away from each other, avoiding the potentially fatal strike before readying up their own spells.

"Heavenly Body Magic: Nova!"

"Solar Wave!"

Two nearly identical beams launched towards the towering beast from opposite sides, forcing it to raise his weapons in defence.

As the beams hit, Jellal's spell was being held back by the demon's sword. Unfortunately for the demon, it tried to block Benjin's spell with its bare hands.

 **"Raarrgg!"** It screeched in pain, the might of Holy Light Magic burning its flesh.

 _Yes!_ Benjin smiled in satisfaction after seeing his attack hurt the demon. That smile however, faded as soon as he saw it jumping into the air, twirling his hand and sword before spinning in place.

 _What? WHAT!_ The beams meant to strike the demon were redirected towards the two boys, forcing them airborne to evade.

Grunting in frustration, Benjin began using chains like flexible stilts and grapples to maneuver himself in three-dimensional space. As he moved around the demon, he remember about his _most_ powerful spell… the one he could never find the strength to properly cast.

 _At least… not until now._

While flying around the area, he shot a glance at his friend's aura, seeing him dart around the air, avoiding the demon's continuous attacks. If he could cast his spell uninterrupted, it could turn the tides of this fight!

"Jellal!" Benjin shouted, hoping his friend heard. "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it!"

 _Now… here goes._

With his focus no longer on the demon, Benjin began to reach deep into every corner of his magical reserves. The magic supposedly unlocked in his awakening would finally surface. Outwardly, there was no change. Despite that, the godling marveled at the sensation of the power that his father unlocked at the temple. This was a power he wanted to reach before, but simply could not due to certain… obstacles.

 _This feeling…_

Benjin felt the changes in his body; there were more than there was before… but only slightly. The magic that flowed in and out of his container, it felt denser, heavier, and _purer._ Letting a grunt of exertion leave his lips, a slow-flowing golden aura formed around him, gradually increasing in size.

The demon, sensing the increase in magical pressure, threw Jellal hard against the side, charging towards the more dangerous opponent.

* * *

 _Blood hell!_ Jellal stammered, tensing his muscles in irritation; whatever Benjin was up to, he needed to make sure he succeeded. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was preparing some sort of finisher, and a powerful one at that if the pressure was anything to go by.

Despite his own magic running low, he pushed out more power than he had before. Overtaking the demon with meteor, he launched another spell within his arsenal.

"Heavenly Body Magic: Orion!"

Multiple orbs all shot from his hand, darting to different areas of the air before materializing into magic circles. With it, burst out numerous small beams at the demon.

Of course, such a small amount of power wouldn't have damaged such a powerful foe, but he only had to stop its charge - and what better way to do so than to aim a massive barrage of tiny beams straight for its eyes?

As soon as the demon slowed down to block Orion, Jellal knew that he was successful in his stalling endeavors. Smiling to himself, he looked at Benjin, who had been still for the prior moments. The air suddenly became denser; the brief emittance of light followed by a relentless pressure passed through the valley. By some unseen cue, a towering aura erupted from the light mage's still form.

"Ethereal Guardian!" _'bout time!_

With a sigh of relief, Jellal looked back at the six seals he created.

 _Just one more…_

* * *

As soon as his spell activated, an enlarging construct of plate armour emerged from thin air. Two massive magic circles lifted its caster into the air, followed by the formation of translucent gauntlets, leggings, and an armoured helm.

A ray of light reflected across the knight construct, signaling its completion. On top of the creation, was Benjin, who resided in a diamond shaped jewel.

Benjin looked around from his new perspective. The sudden gain in height did not unnoticed. What used to be a monumental difference in size between him and the demon was suddenly reduced to zero. Slightly closing his hand to a fist, Benjin noticed that the construct moved as he did. The spell that he had attempted over and over again, unable to do so. Seeing truly how powerful it was when his father first showed it to him made him disbelieve in the fact he would ever do the same. To think, he would finally be able to cast it himself. A wide grin spanning cheek to cheek plastered itself to his face.

 _HOLY SHIT THIS IS FREAKIN' AWESOME!_

Looking up, Benjin noticed the torrential rain that had been falling simply slide down his spell like a slope. Despite the constant bombardment of droplets, it was as if his vision was not affected in the slightest. The boy focused forward, seeing the hulking mass of red and black charge at him.

 _Woah!_

Benjin crossed his arms, causing the construct to follow suit as soon as he saw the attacking demon. Despite the strength of his spell, he was still pushed back from the shoulder tackle.

As he looked down do the point of contact, he widened his eyes. From where the demon had struck his ethereal armour, was a massive spume of fire and shadow all pushing around his spell, spewing backwards straight into the library.

 _No!_ He couldn't let the library burn! Acting fast, Benjin lowered his center of gravity before driving a devastating knee into his opponent's face.

 _Yes!_ The attack struck true as the winged beast was thrown backwards, straight into the waiting hands of Jellal.

"…Nova!" he heard him shout, the massive body of shadow and flame changing trajectory to the side from the two-hit combo.

Before, Benjin didn't really notice from the heat of the moment. But when he _really_ paid attention, he could feel the massive magical drain that it was just to hold the construct together. A looming bubble just waiting to burst. Maybe he only had thirty… or even just twenty seconds before he runs out of magic. Which meant he and Jellal had to finish this _fast._

Just as he tried to move again, he once again remember his time back at the temple, the vision of a fast flipping book and all its contents flashed back. The only spell that he felt he could use clear in his mind. The concept of the spell wasn't based on discipline, but the very core of the magic. It's _origin_.

Sovereignty.

 _Perhaps… it could be enough._

"RAAAA!" Benjin shouted, breaking into a charge towards the recovering demon. With such little time, he would make the best out of it! Both of them were running out of magic, so they had to beat it with one last assault!

"Jellal! Give it everything you got!"

 _This is our final gamble!_

* * *

 _One last maneuver huh?_ The blue-haired boy was flooded with both fear and excitement. Of course, he had the same thought after he finally set up the final seal for the strongest spell in his arsenal.

But what if it didn't work? If their opponent recovers after this, they would die. Plain and simple.

 _'…'_

 _No!_ He couldn't think like that, he had to give _everything_ he could muster into this final strategy! If he didn't… they would fall. And there was no way he would! Not before he found… _them._

Steeling his will, Jellal pushed out the rest of his magic into his most powerful spell.

With his left hand, he lifted it with an open palm to catch his right, which was balled into a fist with the exception of the index and middle finger.

 _Seven seals._

 _Seven spells._

 _Seven simultaneous strikes._

"Be judged by the seven stars! …Grand Chariot!"

* * *

As Benjin neared the demon, he jumped with his construct, a slight expression of shock on his face as he realized the how little he weighed.

 **"Graa!"**

 _It's working!_

With all of his magic pumped into his strongest spell, he was able to force back the demon. Every time it tried to attack him back, it would be wounded simply by his element; every time he was attacked, he would take nearly four times the amount of damage. If it wasn't for this advantage, he would have been dead!

From the ground, the demon pushed itself up, swinging its whip towards where Benjin rested on the construct.

 _Oh no you don't!_

Raising his arm, the whip coiled around the gauntlet by the wrist. The demon chuckled deeply, pulling the whip hard, hoping to topple Benjin's balance.

Smiling in response, Benjin pushed forward with the momentum, using the demon's pull to throw a fist straight into its face, knocking it down again.

To the side, the demon had blindly swung the sword with its other arm. Benjin tried to protect himself with his other arm, but he saw it too late.

"Graaaghh!" Pain erupted from his torso as the demon delivered a cut deep enough to leave a long gash from Benjin's hip to shoulder.

Before he could react however, he could make out seven spots of concentrated magic that began emitting an otherworldly glow, before each shooting a single beam into the sky.

"Be judged by the seven stars! …Grand Chariot!"

Immediately, seven magic circles illuminated the valley, each being placed to form a distinct shape.

 _I… recognize that!_

From them, orbs of light rained down on the ground, striking the demon multiple times, damaging it further.

 _Now's my chance!_

Releasing his construct, Benjin fell to the ground, dodging around the falling spells before moving in front of the demon.

The ethereal guardian was technically, his strongest offense and defense spell. It had no damaging effect on top of his natural element other than greatly enhancing all of his melee strikes. But _this_ spell… The one he learned from the tome, will surpass it. This _was_ it. Despite never casting it before, he knew in his spirit that it would be shown to the world for the very first time.

Amidst the chaos, a feeling of serenity washed over him. Benjin began taking breathing slowly and rhythmically, his eyes closed, drowning out all over sensations.

"LIGHT GODS…" he began, taking in the deepest breath he had taken in his life. A magic circle, one that was different, brighter, appeared in front of him before a luminous orb emerged.

"BELLOW!" All the sources of light; the lanterns, the reflections from the lake, even the miniscule amount of moonlight that peaked through the cloudy sky. All of them coalesced together in tiny rays, strengthening the spell, before a small beam, glowing with intensity bridged the distance between Benjin and the demon's exposed chest in an instant.

 **BOOMMMM.**

The sound of the explosion echoed through the area. A cloud of smoke blanketing a good portion of the valley.

At this point, both boys were panting with exhaustion, where Jellal had dropped to one knee, trying desperately to catch his breath.

Neither of them had any strength to continue fighting, both were struggling to simply not fall to the ground. But despite their states, both boys had only one question on their mind.

"Did we… do it?"

.

.

.

.

 **Chapter 9 finished! Next Chapter - The end of a journey, beginning of another**

 **Make sure you guys check out my other stories!**

 **Join the discord server at (/d)iscord.g(g/)EPp7EU!**

 **Read my profile and join my Trope discussion forums!**

 **[Rise of the Light Bringer]**

 **[Chef Ramsay]**

 **[A God's Redemption]**

 **[A Hero's Becoming]**

 **[The Noble World]**

 **[The Nothing Dragon Slayer's Misadventures in Fairy Tail]**

 **[Minipa's Trope Discussion and How to not Suck Shit at Writing]**

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 **Minipa, out!**


	10. CH10 - The Next Step

**Chapter 10 - The Next Step**

The ethereal guardian was technically, his strongest offense and defense spell. It had no damaging effect on top of his natural element other than greatly enhancing all of his melee strikes. But _this_ spell… The one he learned from the tome, will surpass it. This _was_ it. Despite never casting it before, he knew in his spirit that it would be shown to the world for the very first time.

Amidst the chaos, a feeling of serenity washed over him. Benjin began taking breathing slowly and rhythmically, his eyes closed, drowning out all over sensations.

"LIGHT GODS…" he began, taking in the deepest breath he had taken in his life. A magic circle, one that was different, brighter, appeared in front of him before a luminous orb emerged.

"BELLOW!" All the sources of light; the lanterns, the reflections from the lake, even the miniscule amount of moonlight that peaked through the cloudy sky. All of them coalesced together in tiny rays, strengthening the spell, before a small beam, glowing with intensity bridged the distance between Benjin and the demon's exposed chest in an instant.

 **BOOMMMM.**

The sound of the explosion echoed through the area. A cloud of smoke blanketing a good portion of the valley.

At this point, both boys were panting with exhaustion, where Jellal had dropped to one knee, trying desperately to catch his breath.

Neither of them had any strength to continue fighting, both were struggling to simply not fall to the ground. But despite their states, both boys had only one question on their mind.

"Did we… do it?"

* * *

Despite it taking only seconds for the massive cloud of dust to clear, Benjin felt as if it had been years since he bellowed the beam of luminous energy. There was barely an ounce of magic left in his body and his own vision was scrambled from his fatigue, while his rapid breaths matched the vigorous rhythm of his heart.

 _There's no way it could have stood back up from that!_

As the smoke began to clear, the two boys looked down to see the rain dilute a pool of some sort of black liquid.

 _Is that… blood?_

Moments passed before their downed adversary was visible. Its body becoming wet for the first time in hundreds of years, for the shadow and fire that kept it alive, no longer resided within its body. In the middle of its torso, where Benjin's spell had struck true, was a gaping hole that had replaced its heart.

A breath of relief came as quick as the shock as he too, fell to his knees. "Ha… haha. We did it!" He cheered in between chokes.

"Thank… _fucking_ god."

"At this rate, defeating Nemesis will be a piece of cake!" Benjin began riding off the high of his success, a feeling of victory brewing from the godling's gut. If he could defeat one demon, then he - _they -_ could defeat another! Slowly but surely, they would-

 **"You? Defeat the lord of Pandemonium**?" A deep gargled laughter came from the demon's mangled voice, interrupting Benjin's thoughts. **"Ha-HA-HA-ACK-HA-AC-HA."** Despite its injuries, the dying demon showed no sign of stopping.

A tinge of fear creeped out the boy's previously confident visage. _Why… is he doing that?_

Once again, a sadistic grin worthy of the demon stretched across its blood-red face. **"My power… doesn't even register compared to the greater ones…"** Its previously glowing eyes glared directly to the blonde's.

Both boys blocked everything out to hear the demon's disgruntled voice; they could tell it had mere moments before it would die, but here it was, giving a monumental amount of effort just to speak.

 _Did it fight, in the war?_

 **"Continue this path, and you…"** it began, spitting out globs of blood just to continue. **"S-sh-shall know,"** Its voice became quieter and quieter, gradually cracking up as it moved closer to its demise.

 **"Pain."** Compared to its monstrous rumbling voice before, the way the demon spoke… was barely more than a dying whimper.

Benjin's demeanor completely changed as the demon took its last breath.

 _Just how strong IS Nemesis?_

The reality of the victory began sinking down; the battle he tried so hard to win, one he did not even do alone; it didn't even compare?!

Glancing to his left with disbelieving eyes, he saw that Jellal had a similar reaction.

 _Just truly how strong was this demon? And how… weak?_

"Heh." Benjin choked out. "Looks like… it's a long, long road ahead." The godling began chuckling sheepishly, seemingly finding the absurdity of their situation funny.

It wasn't long until Jellal joined in as well, choking out his own laughter before asking.

"Just what was that thing anyway?"

Scoffing at his question, Benjin prepared to answer. "It was a demo-"

"It was a Balrog," a new voice cut in. The two boys turned back to see the librarian holding Benjin's discarded umbrella above herself while an aura identical to the library's gently covered her form.

"What's a Balrog?" Jellal questioned, a quizzical look in his eyes.

Giggling, the surprisingly cheerful librarian answered. "It's a demon of shadow and flame from the Nether…"

"And?" Benjin cut in impatiently, amusing the older woman.

"…They are the most common of all demons, often used as foot soldiers by the greater demons."

 _Foot soldiers?_

With widened eyes, Benjin stumbled towards the librarian, knocking Jellal out of the way.

"Hey watch it!" The blue-haired boy warned.

"Shut up I have an important question!"

In their short exchange, the purple-haired librarian could only giggle at the two boys' antics.

"That!" Benjin pointed at the body of the deceased demon. "Was only a _foot_ soldier?!" A nod from the librarian.

The boy trembled in frustration, his eyes becoming bloodshot. "So you're saying… that we struggled so much just to defeat something that was _already_ considered the weakest!" At this point, Benjin did not care if he was being an arse to the woman; he demanded answers, and he wanted it now!?

 _What the actual hell?!_

The librarian recoiled sheepishly. "I wouldn't put it like that… the power of Balrogs can _really_ differ from one to the other. This one was actually pretty average, more than enough to be a higher-class soldier."

Benjin was about to reply before being interrupted.

"I'm just as surprised as you but you don't see me being a dick about it," Jellal shot from the side.

"What!" Benjin began, his attention turned towards his battle partner. "Do you not see this?!" he gestured to his shoulder wound, "and this?!" then to the massive cut on his chest. "Look at you! You're completely fine! You just ran around the demon and attacked it when it was trying to kill me!"

"Well maybe if you dodged a little better you wouldn't have suffered any injuries in the first place!"

"Why don't you shove that grand chari-crap straight up your ass!" The two boys ignored their injuries, opting to get into each other's face.

"Shut up! You don't get to say anything when your eyes look like somebody pissed in it!"

 _Did he just insult my eye colour?_

"Ok that is it!" Benjin raged, preparing to pounce at the crouching cosmic magic user.

"Aarrg!" Jellal grunted as he was tackled, before rolling back and forth trying to hit one another despite their condition.

Suddenly, a blue essence enveloped the bickering boys and lifted them up, pulling them away from each other.

"Boys!"

Said boys turned towards the voice, seeing a sickly-sweet smile on the face of the speaker.

"That's enough, don't you think?" Jellal and Benjin looked at the librarian, then back at each other, then to the librarian again.

"Fine."

"Yeah whatever."

Dropping them, the librarian clapped her hands and said cheerfully, "Perfect! Now come inside, wouldn't want you two to get rained on after you tried so hard to defend my poor little library!"

 _Little?_

As the giddy woman skipped back towards the entrance, Benjin and Jellal could only wallow in their positions.

"…"

"Can you walk?" Benjin asked, regretting the tussle he had with his blue-haired companion after such a life-threatening battle.

"…Not anymore."

Turning to the librarian, Benjin called out. "Hey! A little help here?" The librarian did not react.

"Please?"

Right away, she turned to face them with the same cheerful expression. "Ah, of course! Ask and you shall receive!"

The boys could only nod and sigh at the librarian's antics.

* * *

Back inside the library, the Librarian, to the boys' irk, carried them all the way to what seemed to be a break room on the second floor.

"Well, that was…" Benjin began, still conflicted about being levitated all the way from the path.

"Something," Jellal finished for him.

Of course, the golden-haired boy was quite thankful for the strange-ish librarian for bringing them in… _and for bandaging me up._ Narrowing his eyes at Jellal, Benjin noticed the blue-haired boy did not sport any injuries other than… nothing.

 _Lucky sonuva bi-_

"So, what now?" The blue-haired boy asked from his sofa-bed, eyes staring at the chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.

Benjin furrowed his brows contemplatively, crossing his arms behind his head to substitute for the lack of pillows. Jellal was right, what _were_ they going to do now? While he was sure they had different reasons for arriving at the library, he had no idea what to do next. At this point, he had barely accomplished the very beginning of his supposed goal. He knew what he had to do; it just seemed… _impossible._

 _Whatever, I'll just take what I can and get outta here._

"Just rest up and leave, I guess."

Jellal looked as if he was going to say something, but stopped himself, going into thought.

"What if we stayed here for a bit?" Jellal proposed.

Benjin raised an eyebrow, glancing at his companion. "You looking to read some more books?"

"Just one; I didn't get to finish what I was reading before I heard the explosion."

Benjin looked down at the floor, thinking of how Jellal had to risk his life to help him defeat the demon.

"Oh."

 _Well at least he's not hurt._

Not knowing what to say, Benjin looked back up at the ceiling. The rhythmic drops of rain and cackling of the fire place made a tranquil environment. Both boys simply stared upwards in silence, neither willing to start conversing again.

 _Perhaps some sleep would do me some good._

* * *

The next day, Benjin woke up to the morning sun shining directly on his face, filling him up with energy.

 _Thank god it finally stopped raining!_

Letting out a loud yawn, the light mage groggily got up the bed before taking out the first drink he could find in his storage.

Absentmindedly, he poked his wound from yesterday, eliciting a painted grunt.

 _Fuck! Argh… why did I do that._

As he took a sip from some weird looking vase, he noticed that Jellal was sleeping the floor, his hair and his blanket a complete mess.

 _Hmm… idiot._

"PFFT!" he spat, letting out all the liquid that was in his mouth earlier due to the disgusting taste. What _was_ that anyway? He was pretty sure he only had water in there! _That_ tasted like some sort of bitter, rotten, grapes!

 _I'll just drink later… shit._

Getting off the sofa, Benjin walked out of the break room, looking to go back to the ancient magic section to satisfy some of his own curiosities. There were surely many types of magics that could be very useful. Sure, learning something out of his affinity would probably take years and years just to master it; although, there might be some easy-to-learn spells that could definitely help.

 _Maybe some sort of 'fly' magic? THAT would be so great it would be insane!_

As he made his way back up the stairs, he saw bits of crumbled rock and wood where the pieces got larger the closer he got to the top floor.

 _Don't tell me…_

When he made it to the top, his eyes widened in shock as he saw what exactly happened to the ancient magic section.

 _ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!_

The entire section came down on itself! All the books were scattered in with mountains and mountains of stone! How was he supposed to find new magics now? Everything inside had probably been destroyed!

 _How did this even happen?!_

Earlier… _As he looked down do the point of contact, he widened his eyes. From where the demon had struck his ethereal armour, was a massive spume of fire and shadow all pushing around his spell, spewing backwards straight into the library._

Damn it! If he had beat the demon back earlier, then it wouldn't have the chance to fire his attack! Thankfully, it was only that one section; the librarian must have protected the library with some sort of barrier spell - the same one that blocked him from jumping over the moat.

 _Shit among shit!_

Suddenly, a hand put itself on his shoulder.

"AHH!" Benjin snapped his head backwards, just to see the tattooed face of his friend.

Jellal put his hands up in caution. "Whoa, relax! it's just me!"

Sighing, Benjin looked back on the destruction, walking towards the hall before bending down to see a relatively untouched book.

 _The beginnings of force magic_. _Huh, doesn't seem too useful… meh, I'll grab it anyways._

"I was going to read some books about magic I can use, but that plan just went straight out the window," he spoke dismissively, putting the force-magic book into his storage.

As he turned around, Benjin saw Jellal walking towards the middle table, which had a massive piece of the ceiling imbedded directly on top.

"Well," Jellal began, his hands reaching for a book that had been completely crushed by the falling debris.

"The book I was reading was utterly destroyed."

"…"

"What were you reading anyway?" Benjin stood up, rummaging through the rubble to look for more books.

Jellal simply stared at his demolished text, frustration building up quickly as he would no longer be able to find out the secrets to the true form of his magic.

"A book… on my magic."

"Oh."

Benjin looked back at Jellal, who simply stared back with an annoyed expression.

"Well I'm just going to be here then, salvaging what I can from this wreckage."

The blue-haired boy crossed his arms with a huff. "Hnn."

A few moments later, Jellal simply sat down the floor, before kicking his legs up on a chair and just… lying there.

 _Well I'll just let him do him._

Continuing on, Benjin looked through as many crevices as he could to find anything that was still legible. All the auras of the books were completely mangled and - _wait, auras; that's it!_ Why didn't he think of it earlier? It was the exact same idea that found him the book on Solarin, and he could do the same to filter out damaged books! Then, he can simply take everything that was in an okay condition in one fell swipe.

 _Genius!_

From his back, Jellal could only stare at the blonde-haired boy weirdly patting his own back while laughing to himself.

Similar to before, Benjin closed his eyes and focused his senses, drowning out all the sounds, smells, and even sight until the only thing he could see was the dancing myriad of colours that represented each and every book's essence.

 _There they are…_

As he continued to narrow down his senses, further and further, he was able to make out that many of the books had some sort of black speck in its aura while others didn't. Those must have been the ones damaged beyond repair; but wait! Even if it got smashed partially, it could still be read.

 _Hmm, should he take all of them just in case?_

As he contemplated, he thought of missing all the useful books while taking all the useless ones simply because they were damaged.

 _Yeah screw it, I'm grabbing all of them._

Slowly, he connected his aura to the individual essences of each book. As soon as he felt the connection was solid, he began dragging them one by one into his storage dimension through golden rippling portals.

* * *

 _What is he doing?_

The blue-haired boy simply stared at his library companion, watching him plant his hands to the ground while remaining perfectly still.

Not knowing what Benjin planned to do, Jellal simply grabbed a piece of wood from the nearby rubble, throwing and catching it up and down.

 _This should get his attention._

…

The books were almost completely taken - and if nothing has happened so far, it meant the librarian didn't have a problem with him 'borrowing' all these books that really no 12-year-old should have.

 _Nice_ , he smirked to himself, only having about ten books left before he was done. Now then, what would he read first? He still didn't know where he was going after the library but now he would have a way of killing boredom if it came to it. It was actually quite exciting just to think about sitting down and looking at all the different types of magic unknown to him! Maybe there was some sort of infinite meat spell? _My mouth is watering just THINKING about that!_ All he needed was to-

 _ **Whack**_

"Ow what the hell!" Benjin's concentration suddenly wavered, causing the books he was carefully storing to rocket out of the portals, ricocheting around the destroyed hall before finally falling onto the floor.

 _Thank God they weren't that damaged… I can't say the same for the brain of a certain blue-headed mongoloid._

"Are you so bored that you have to screw me over?"

"You were acting weird, so I had to get your attention." Benjin scoffed at his words, he was not in need of _any_ aid, and certainly not in need of a random objects being thrown at him!

"I was doing MAGIC; you could have just waited for _five_ seconds and I would be done!" The blonde stored the rest of the books in _four seconds_ to emphasize the point.

"Well _I_ didn't know that!"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW… yeah you know what?" Benjin began to walk out of the room, intent on leaving the library. "I'm not going to argue about this with you. I just got a bunch of books on magic and I am _not_ letting you ruin this for me."

"…Flashlight," Jellal quipped, intent on getting the last word.

 _Grr…_

" _Don't_ call me that!" Picking up one final book, Benjin stomped out of the library, hastily leaving the building with the other boy close behind.

* * *

As they began walking out of the entrance, Jellal quickened his pace to match with Benjin's.

"Where do you plan on going now?"

Right, he still did not know where he was headed. All this time, the Temple called him through his pendant. But now, he no longer felt such a pull, so whatever he could do, was up to him.

 _I'll figure it out later._

"Don't know, just going to head west and go from there." Jellal raised an eyebrow at his words.

"I know of a place where we can go."

 _Oh?_

"And just where is that?"

Benjin was getting impatient, Jellal simply stared forward in silence instead of saying the place. People can't just do that, leave such a big question unanswered and just not talk! That's… _bad_ practice.

Another ten seconds passed, before Jellal finally spoke up.

"I heard it from a…" The blue-haired boy's mouth stopped moving, his eyes drooping while he slowly began looking down. "from a guy, we should head to Fairy Tail."

"Fairy Tale? That doesn't even sound like a real place," and it probably isn't; that name itself meant something that's not real, and definitely was _not_ a place.

"No," Jellal corrected, shaking his head. "Fairy T-ail, as in the body part tail."

Benjin simply stared at Jellal, his apparent correction not making his words making any more sense than it was originally.

"Alright, I'll give, just how do we get to this… Fairy T-ail?" He emphasized the 'a' sound to mock the blue-haired mage.

Grunting in annoyance, Jellal simply looked into the distance, thinking of an answer. "Somewhere in Fiore."

Not caring for the vague description, Benjin simply scoffed into a chuckle, a look of purpose plastered on his face.

 _It's not much, but…_

"It's a freaking start."

* * *

 **Inside the library**

Velvet, accompanied by a young woman behind her sorting books, were looking outside of the main window.

"They are quite something aren't they, sparkle?" The librarian asked her purple-haired daughter.

"Who?!" The teenaged girl asked back.

Giggling in response, she simply stared at the form of the retreating boys, then glancing to the statue that reminded her of years long, long past.

"Nothing!" she chirped, a small owl landing on top of her shoulders, giving a small 'hoot'.

 _It's been hundreds of years hasn't it… I wonder, what will your son and his friend bring to this changing world?_

…

 _Solarin…_

…

As the two boys continued walking west, neither of them noticed the library flickering in and out of existence, until disappearing into a thin ray of light altogether.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 10 and Book 1 Completed! Next Chapter: Book 2: Rise of the Light Bringer!**

 **Who can figure out Velvet's true identity? And no not from their fandom reference XD**

 **Thanks for those of you that read Book 1, now off to Book 2!**

 **Make sure you guys check out my other stories!**

 **Join the discord server at (/d)iscord.g(g/)EPp7EU!**

 **Read my profile and join my Trope discussion forums!**

 **[Rise of the Light Bringer]**

 **[Chef Ramsay]**

 **[A God's Redemption]**

 **[A Hero's Becoming]**

 **[The Noble World]**

 **[The Nothing Dragon Slayer's Misadventures in Fairy Tail]**

 **[Minipa's Trope Discussion and How to not Suck Shit at Writing]**

 **[Minipa's Trope Discussion and How to not Suck Shit at Writing - BNHA]**

 **Check out my Youtube Channel: Minipa!**

 **Minipa, out!**


	11. WB Notes 1 - Holy Light Magic I

**World Building Notes 1 - Holy Light Magic I**

 **Hello everyone, so Book 1 is finished and Book 2 is underway!**

 **I will be releasing some fun notes from my world building section to cover spells, creatures, items, and even locations of the story. Some of the Lore will be covered as well!**

 **Edit 1: I remember posting this before but I ended up revealing a bit TOO much and got some backlash :( Anyways, I edited out the parts that were** _ **not**_ **revealed in Book 1. Everything you'll below are things that have already been introduced in the story in some way or form!**

 **Ex. Benjin noting it or it being revealed by certain scenes in a cause/effect kind of way! So, don't worry about spoilers there!**

 **Edit 2: Book 1 has been rewritten as of: May 4, 2019.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Introduction**

Holy Light Magic is similar to light magic, where the user manipulates lights for defensive, offensive, and even utility purposes.

 **Known Users:** Seijin Solarus, and Benjin Solarus.

Holy Light Magic can be used just like Light Magic. However, having a holy element means the magic itself is naturally more potent and has a greater effect against demons and darkness elementals.

Holy light magic condenses Ethernano in a mage's body and coverts it into potent light, which can burn or combust naturally.

Holy light magic can be used to create constructs that can deliver blunt damage while retaining the holy light element. It can also be solidified into barriers, shields, or other constructs with various effects.

 **Holy Light-Make**

An unofficial term, but light-make is the magic of condensing lights in various shapes to found hollow constructs (a volume of a square of light magic formed into just the outline is light make.

Spells such as Light Chains, Light Rods, are spells meant to bind opponents. Light-make, like other maker magic, are simply based on the user's imagination. Simple shapes such as a cylindrical rod, claws, or simple polygons can be made without prior practice.

Ex. Grey will be able to make a large ice cube without prior practice or an actual spell.

 **Known Users:** Seijin Solarus, and Benjin Solarus.

 **Current Spells**

 **Light Chains (Binding):** A chain materialized from light-make that is used to bind opponents. The number and strength of the chains depends on the magic power and control of the user.

The chains can be manipulated similar to a tentacle that can pull things to the user or vice versa. The chains have light magic running through it which causes disruption in the enemy target if bound. This makes it difficult although not impossible to cast magic while fully bound by the chains.

Due to the chains having a holy element, this spell would be more effective in binding those of darkness elements and creatures such as demons.

The spell looks like Bakudo #63 from bleach.

 **Light Rods (Binding):** Another binding spell, the light rods spell materializes flat rods around the target and strikes the target in the midsection, preventing movement and making magic channeling difficult. More light rods can be constructed to multiply the spell.

Although much faster than the chains, it cannot be manipulated as freely as if missed, the rods will dissipate instead of being able to follow the target like the chains.

This spell looks like Bakudo #61 from bleach (has no upper limit, depends on amount magic used)

 **Solar Wave (Offense):** A yellow concentrated beam of light fired from the user's body. This beam can be fired from anywhere from the body as long control is good enough. However, the easiest place to fire is from the palms or from the mouth.

This spell looks like Goku's Kamehameha from DBZ.

 **Holy Barrier (Defense):** A barrier of light shaped like a rectangular prism quickly materializes within a limited area around the caster (the radius on which he can cast from himself increases as he gets stronger). This barrier is more effective defending against demonic or darkness elemental attacks. This barrier can be angled to cause attacks to ricochet or redirected. The location of the barrier cannot be moved once it has been cast.

This spell looks like Bakudo #81 from bleach.

 **Holy Barrier: Pentagonal Prism (Defense):** A more powerful version of the Holy Barrier, this spell has a longer cast time than its base form. The spell materializes in the shape of two pentagon antiprisms attached back to back (like a pentagonal prism in between two pentagonal pyramids). It cannot manifest through solid objects such as the ground but its full form will appear in water or empty spaces.

While casting the spell, Benjin puts both of his hands forward with his palms facing forward and his arms spread apart.

 **Storage (Utility):** Storage is Benjin's personal magic. This unique ability combines basic Requip and his father's light magic abilities. Since this ability is light based, activation will all be colourless or light yellow in colour.

The main concept of Storage is a dimension anchored by Benjin allows the caster to freely modify a pocket dimension, while having the ability to 'store' things and take them out of this dimension.

Benjin takes things in and out of his dimension by opening portals.

 **Store:** By Focusing his magic, Benjin can put inanimate objects into his storage space through physical contact, the size, mass, and magical structure of the object determine how long it takes to put into his dimension at the set space and how much magic is required (storing won't take large chunks of his magic). He can increase the speed of storing by increasing the amount of magic used; however, this increase is exponential.

This ability is similar to the Gate of Babylon from Fate/Stay series.

 **Ethereal Guardian (Offense and Defense):** The Ethereal Guardian is a spell that materializes a giant set of armor to fight. Parts of the guardian can be generated if the necessary magic required to summon the entire guardian is not met. The spell takes a large amount of magic to summon, but requires much less magic to manipulate.

For all forms of the Ethereal Guardian, Benjin's body resides in a diamond attached to the head of the guardian.

Benjin is capable of casting other spells while having Ethereal Guardian active, this ability will decrease depending on the amount of power and the level of the spell being active.

The user can manipulate the guardian as if it were their own body.

The spell is pretty much Susanoo from Naruto except instead of a Tengu Demon it is a medieval knight.

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